Nanaya

Iris Ascendis

@Estylwen@Psyker Landshark@ERode@AThousandCurses@Sifr

CLASSROOM 103

"Your worries are misplaced, Ms. Kyrios," Alto would speak plainly, eyes closed in concentration as the temperature of the room steadily increased. "The world keeps on turning regardless of what you may wish of it. Though this is the first real day of study, the curriculum demands either fast growth or dedication while knowing full well that enrollment here risks one's wellbeing day after day."

As vines began to sprout from underneath the floorboards under Alto's feet, Davil was shivering. His attention was fully locked onto every syllable Otis spoke, taking in the full weight of those words with a mix of fear, contempt and uncertainty. Saliva was swallowed hard and loud in his throat as he slowly nodded. "Right. I guess I'll see what I can manage with what I've got, then."

Without looking, the defenseless boy once more withdrew the chainsaw katana from the prior day. Taking a moment to gently set it on top of his desk, he gave a thumbs up to Otis, his face one of anticipatory dread as he grit his teeth. He'd look at Iraleth and give a quick shake of his head, staring at her. "I-It's fine, really, it's... fine. I'm the only one here who needs any defending, I know that's what everyone's thinking anyway. A sword is fine, but I don't need a shield to reward my own lack of ability. Chum's just being nice, after all, so don't blame him for this."

A weak smile was shot towards Iraleth, and a scoff could be heard from the back of the room by the frill-elf. "Humility like that will just break you faster," Chloe would mutter as she stared out the window. Rio turned back to shoot a sharp glare at her in response, upon which she simply shrugged in indifference. "It's just the truth."

After another minute, the vines from underneath the floor began to fully cloak Professor Wund, reaching his neck. His eyes remained shut, his expression firm. "Okaaay, we're ready to go. The leyline has been sufficiently ignited. The sparks stretch far across horizon - far beyond the space we mere mortals can comprehend," he spoke as the vines entirely covered the man like a writhing shell.

From within the earthen prison of his own making, his voice echoed out, though muffled and fuzzy. It filled the entire room as the flutes also began to swell. All of the Mannekin braced at once, their Personal Barriers standing at attention. Rio and Chloe also took note of this and theirs each flared as well. Davil could only brace with his body to the best of his ability, closing his eyes in a desperate squint as he prepared for the worst. The heat within the room was akin to a furnace, and from nowhere, the sound of crackling flames could be heard.

Finally, the echoing voice of Alto Wund could be heard in full. Though even while fully audible, it almost sounded as his words were weighted by reality itself as he spoke them.

"F̶͉͗̊̀̔å̴̡͖͖̝̓͘ĺ̶̖̳̗̌͝k̷̝͍̺͚͙͋̆͒̽̕r̵̢͙͖͙͝i̶͍͘s̷̻͚͔͌̂̈̔, I invoke."

All at once, the world went dark. Vision became impossible, and the sensation of traveling thousands of miles in a single second would overtake all within the room. For anybody who held their Personal Barrier, the feeling would not crush them - though the sounds of breaking bones would ring out from somewhere nearby, followed by Davil's screams of agony.

And then, finally, it would all stop at once. Vision would return, and the residents of room 103 would cease to be in a classroom at all. Rather, they found themselves within a vast forest. Their desks were gone, with only the crude mimicry of tree stumps to replace their seats and desks. The Mannekin were nowhere to be seen and Alto stood the same distance apart as before, dead vines and wood clumped at his feet as if he had exited a cocoon.

"Welcome to an overcharged leyline. It's not really important to know the why or how for now, but just know that it's really great you all passed the first hurdle!"

As students adjusted to the area, the one thing they would all begin to feel instinctually is something that might be unfamiliar: the lack of external essence. From the trees, to stray insects, to the very air, there was not a trace of essence to be found in any of it. There was no conceptual essence to indicate that the trees were made of wood, nor that the insects had flesh, or that there was any air at all. The only essence that existed was that which each individual had already brought in with them beforehand.

Thunk.

Davil's body fell backwards against soft soil and grass, sprawled out as he stared up at the bleak rays of sun peering in through the trees. His left arm was bent at an angle no human arm ever should be, and a small trickle of bile fled out the side of his mouth. His eyes slowly looked from one side to the other within his limited sight while laying, and he let out ragged breaths as he struggled to move his body.

Alto scratched the back of his head with a nervous chuckle, shrugging his shoulders. "Er, well... it was almost a perfect grade, at least. Could someone attend to him and check if he's alright? I'm not so good with healing, myself."

Chloe would immediately sprint to Davil, panic overtaking her as she slid into the dirt and soil to kneel at his side. "Hey, you're going to be alright, okay? It's going to be fine!"

Iris Ascendis

I feel that, it's occasionally been pretty terrible for my connection too.

I've been delayed, but next round will be coming in a few hours!

Iris Ascendis

If there's no answer by morning, I'll be going ahead with the next round.

Iris Ascendis

@ERode

It would be an effect that amplifies everyone. So far the implication is that the Mannekin will be competing against you in some way once the supercharge is complete though, yeah.

Iris Ascendis

@Estylwen@Psyker Landshark@ERode@AThousandCurses@Sifr

CLASSROOM 103

Davil's eyes filled with recognition as he followed Otis' words, nodding along as he wiped the drool away from his lips and letting it dry on his sleeves. "Uh huh, uh huh, it all makes sense now... yes, it all makes sense," he would mutter as Otis guided him along, drifting deeper into otherworldly concentration as he followed the visualizations set out before him. There would be nothing standing in his way, as a small gust of wind circled around his outstretched arms, slowly coating them and becoming one with his flesh. He imagined the storm around him, swirling just as the emotional essence did - a blender of the material and immaterial, with him at its center.

Thunk.

All at once, the sound of a heavy rock crashing against floor could be heard, and in that same moment, the wind gathered around Davil's limbs dispersed and slammed against the floor. A small dent scarred the wooden floorboards, leaving him stunned as he looked at Otis for any kind of answer, clearly having found none himself. After another moment he'd shrug, eyebrows cocked in defeat as a nervous laugh escaped him. "I guess it didn't work, chum. Maybe it isn't time yet, huh? I-I'm sure I'll be fine, though. I just need to not get hit when I gotta fight, yeah? That should work."

There was a glint of disappointment in the boy's eyes, but he turned his face away from Otis' to stare at the wall, continuing to chuckle nervously knowing that his reasoning wasn't good enough. For now, though, the Wund boy would seem to concede after his first attempt. He leaned on the palm of his hand propped up by his elbow on the top of his desk, gritting his teeth.

As people began to break off into discussion and find themselves practicing rather than simply being lectured, the door to the classroom would eventually open after another few minutes. Entering would be several Mannekin dressed in generic leather armor and with crude wooden practice weaponry strapped to their bodies. They would march inside the classroom and each take a seat at an unoccupied desk, and Alto would let out a small cough to signify he had more to say.

"Shortly, we'll begin the final early morning exercise that will take up the rest of our introductory class. As a compact class, you should know that you differ from standard classes in that your numbers are smaller. For reasons decided upon by recorded footage and staff meetings regarding yesterday's trial by fire, you have all been chosen for Compact 3 because interested parties believe you would all function effectively as a smaller, more cohesive unit."

Alto would begin to gesture outwardly towards the various Mannekin sitting about, some beginning to aimlessly stare at students near them. After an uncomfortable pause and a small eyebrow raise of uncertainty from Professor Wund, he would continue.

"But that doesn't mean you'll have less to contend with. Rather, those interested parties thought it would be interesting to allow for competition to fill these empty seats. Today it's Mannekin, but who knows what it could be another day? Truth be told, I don't even know, I just roll with it, ahaha!"

Rio and Chloe would deliver deadpan, unamused looks, while Davil looked on in unease at a Mannekin's faceless visage turned directly towards him. The heat from the primal leyline within the room would increase again, and upon another minute or so passing, roots and vines would begin to slowly slide out of the floorboards.

"Part of why I asked you all to figure out your PBs now, by the way, was because of what comes next. I'm going to overcharge this leyline beneath us, you see. And when that happens, individuals with either no PB active or one insufficient in its construction will experience extreme nausea, broken bones, a temporary failure of internal organs, or in 1% of cases, death. Finish your talks, make your preparations, and settle in with an active PB within the next two minutes. Best of luck~!"

Alto's eyes would close as essence swirled around him, the roots from under the floorboards slowly inching towards him. Each of the Mannekin would notably surround themselves in Personal Barriers, sturdy and prepared as they sat obediently like the emotionless puppets they were. From somewhere off in the distance, yet so close, dreamlike flutes would slowly begin to play a song that would sound oddly familiar, and yet unable to be placed directly. Their subconsciously familiar echoes would pulse about the classroom as pressure slowly increased.

Iris Ascendis

Next round coming later tonight!

Iris Ascendis

I think because you're waiting on a response from Iraleth, it'd be @Psyker Landshark or @Sifr next.

Iris Ascendis

Ahhh, there we go, feels good to get back into it. Let's get back on track!

Iris Ascendis

@Estylwen@Psyker Landshark@ERode@AThousandCurses@Sifr

CLASSROOM 103

Alto held a smile of pride as Otis took the lead at the front of class. He'd occasionally nod his head approvingly at the boy's statements, acknowledging the words as true and proper. It was a powerful sense of self that fueled a Personal Barrier, at the end of the day - a strong ego of the psychological kind. It wasn't a perfect technique, burning one's emotional essence as fuel for a shield and temporarily losing pieces of the self as a result; but it was certainly better than dying.

Upon the conclusion of the diligent Strigidae's speech, Alto looked over to acknowledge Chunji's question, allowing himself to answer now that the time for further questions and answers could be tossed about. The Wund teacher's expression quickly soured, though, as a frown took over at the inquiry. "If you were to funnel your prime essence into your Personal Barrier to defend, you would become a truly unstoppable wall. The collective force of 'you' and all of your experiences lived and yet to be lived would rush forth to ensure your body endures the attack. You'd feel all of your positive emotions amplified twice over, allowing your true self to take tangible form in the outside world. It'd be a high unlike any other."

A pause hung in the air, dread filling in place of his words as he looked upon Chunji with eyes indicating a personal experience of some kind. Pained eyes, yet old, as if it were an aged emotional wound with only the scar left to show for it. "Seconds later, the worst rebound of your life would hit you. Depending on the severity of the hit, you'd die instantly and it'd feel incredible. Being generous, you'd lose several decades off your lifespan if you were otherwise protected or the attack was of a weaker sort. You might possibly lose the ability to channel essence such that you can't cast spells. Your Ethos might be forever lost to you, or otherwise never reach its full potential," he'd say, scanning the classroom to ensure everyone understood as clear as day. "Do I make myself clear? Last resort, that's it. There's no bringing back pieces of your prime essence, even with the magic of Arcmages."

From the back, Chloe silently bit at her fingernails while shooting a knowing look towards Rio. Davil leaned back in his chair after the words of both Otis and Alto flooded into his brain, eyes glazed over and cast towards the ceiling, drool pooling out of his mouth as he felt all passion leave him. It was too much. Too many words were said in too short a time and Davil was defeated, slumped expressionless against his seat as he emitted low gurgling, "gah, gahhh," noises from out of his open maw.

Rio turned around in his seat to stare at Otis, acknowledging the boy's passion for these subjects, and nodded. "I align with the divine conduit, myself. For me, it helps to imagine the eye of your worship casting out all things in the world except for the connection between you and them. Within the Personal Barrier I envision, only the two of us exist, me dancin' on the palm of their hand as they use their other to repel outsiders in our world."

A sudden smack rang out through the class, with a small bruise left on one of Rio's hands from Chloe's sudden strike with an open palm slap, an annoyed pout filling her face. "That's quite enough sharing from you for now." All Rio could do was nod, then turn back to Otis with an unbothered shrug.

"I suppose it is. Why not ask the kid having a stroke what his process is? I'm sure he's full of compellin' wisdom to share with all of us," he'd continue, looking over towards Davil.

Throughout the conversation, the classroom would gradually begin to grow hotter. It was almost as if the latent power of the primal essence within this enclosed space was beginning to awaken. For those perceptive in the flow of essence or otherwise channeling to determine it, the source would originate from Alto, who had a hand to his chin in thought.

"I've prepared a little exercise for all of you to partake in, so I'll give a few more minutes and then we'll see how you all adapt, okay? Nothing too serious, but a little bit of physical education never hurt anyone!"

Mr. Wund chuckled to himself at the last statement, his demeanor once more returning to something more welcoming as he waited.

Iris Ascendis

Been a hectic day, but I'll be posting in the next few hours.