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abraxasooc2021-05-20 09:20 pm
abraxasmods) wrote in abraxasooc2021-05-20 09:20 pm
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TEST DRIVE MEME #1
TEST DRIVE MEME
Welcome to the very first test drive meme for Abraxas! This meme is run a little bit differently than most in that you'll be asked to choose one of the two different arrival scenarios below for your character to take. If you have any questions about this mechanic or anything else related to the TDM, please take a look at the questions below or ask one of your own here. For general game questions please still use the FAQ.
You awaken suspended in the abyss, silent darkness stretching out in all directions. If you try to yell, you'll find that the sound doesn't carry. If you try to move, you'll find it's impossible to tell whether or not you're actually getting anywhere. If you reach for an item you were carrying last time you remember being awake, your hand will only touch bare skin.
You're naked and floating helplessly through the void, and what little air you have in your lungs is running out.
There's a pinprick of light that almost looks like a faraway star but as it grows it becomes clear that it's actually quite close. Through the opening you can see a bright room, but it's hard to make out any individual objects, as if you're looking from beneath rippling water.
A hand plunges through and you realize water is just what it is. Whether you take hold of the hand or not it will grab you and yank you up through the surface, lifting you out until you're sprawled on solid ground. Once you catch your breath, you can get a better look at the surroundings: tall trees and even taller stone pillars surround the platform you're laying on. Behind you is an ornate fountain, the base of which is so deep and so dark you might be compelled to scramble away from it lest it suck you back in to that endless abyss. Ahead of you are the walls of a large castle with several tall towers reaching up towards the sky.
If you had any powers, they feel unusually weak. Attempts to use magic or enhanced strength or powers of any sort fizzle out without any effect, but they don't feel completely gone, either.
Set into an indent on a marble slab behind the fountain is a card baring the image of one of the arcana.
An apprentice mage - the one whose hand lifted you out of the fountain - brushes the water off on their robes and runs back to join a group of three others, who all stare intently at a mage with highly decorated robes and a large, heavy book. He peers up at you for a moment and starts flipping through the book.
"I beg your pardon," he says, so absorbed in the pages of the book that he doesn't bother to look up, "I am Ambrose Rhett, the High Mage of the Kingdom of Thorne. One of my apprentices will explain everything in a moment, but please refrain from yelling and thrashing about until then. You're quite alright, and screaming gives me a hell of a headache."
Regardless of your response, he keeps flipping through the heavy tome, until he stops on one specific page, stares at it for a moment, and then exclaims:
"Aha!"
Ambrose's expression brightens, eyes twinkling with delight. He waves one of the apprentices over with a fine silk tunic, pants, and some basic sandals and with a wave of his hand they reshape to fit you perfectly.
"Success! It's a success!" he exclaims, slamming the book shut and scurrying towards you.
Now that he's not hunching over the book, he doesn't seem quite so stuffy and inapproachable. The apprentices all seem quite relieved at his jovial outburst, and the one that handed you the tunic stops to take the tarot card down from the marble slab. If you show any curiosity about the card, they'll let you take a longer look, but won't let you touch it.
"Please, come with me, you're an honored guest here," he says, motioning for you to follow him towards the castle, "As promised, my pupils will explain your current situation. And, ah - if you had any magic of your own, or other special abilities you can't access right now, fear not, they'll return within the week. The summoning takes a lot out of you."
One of the apprentices steps forward and rattles on and on about the castle, Thorne itself, the names of a bunch of royals and nobles, and of course, your reason for being here. The Kingdom and the world itself is in great peril, and tales of your exploits have reached far and wide across universes. If asked about these exploits, the apprentice will simply smile and shrug. The High Mage was happy to see you and that's good enough.
Once inside the castle you're taken to the North Wing, which has been set up as living quarters for you and your fellow newcomers. There are four people to a room, but each generously-sized bed has opaque curtains that can be drawn around it. You can meet your roommates here and discuss your shared situation (everyone appears to have arrived within the last few days), or you can wander around and meet the others.
There's also a dining hall stocked with all sorts of fancy food to meet every possible dietary need, and a library filled with epic tales and legends and the history of Thorne. Given that this is the Thorne library, it may be a biased account that makes the Kingdom look a fair bit better than the rest of the world sees them. Last but not least, there's a study hall where a few junior mages (younger and less experienced than the apprentices from earlier) might be willing to teach you some simple elemental magic. Think holding a small flame in the palm of your hand, or blowing a door shut with a gust of wind.
You may also notice that your sign is embroidered on your tunic: the same image you saw on the card from before with the name of the sign itself beneath it. If you ask the castle residents, they'll tell you a little bit about your sign (and will mostly stick to the positives, although some might point out the negatives).
Last (and, if you ask anyone else in the castle, least) there is a worn stone staircase leading underground to the dungeon. You can go there, if you wish, but all powers are restricted in the dungeons and spending too much time with the prisoners will lead to some suspicion being cast upon you. If you ask anyone why the prisoners are being held there, you'll be told that they pose a great threat to the Kingdom (and, by extension, the entire world).
The High Mage scowls, grinding his teeth as he slams the book shut. "Another failure!" he barks at the apprentices, "You lot wouldn't know your ass from a hole in the ground, would you?"
All four of them lower their heads, and two of them mumble an apology that Ambrose either doesn't hear or refuses to acknowledge. "Well, don't just stand there," he says, waving a hand in the air, "We've put all this effort into getting this wretched creature, we may as well put it to good use."
One of the apprentices drops a baggy, rough-feeling tunic, a pair of pants, and some worn sandals in your lap and glares down at you until you put them on (if you refuse, they'll tell you they can kick you back down that well if you don't want to cooperate). They're glaring at the High Mage as much as they're glaring at you (when they're sure he isn't looking, anyway). You might catch one of them long enough to ask them why they're so upset with you, but all they'll say is that the High Mage knows something they don't, and he's awfully upset about it.
Once you're fully clothed, another apprentice clamps some heavy iron shackles around your wrists and leads you on. The High Mage is far ahead of you already, muttering some long string of Thornean curses before he stands up straight and pauses, spinning to face you.
"One more thing," he says, holding one hand in the air and chanting something under his breath, "Can't have you getting too troublesome."
If you had powers, the slight connection you still had to them slips away completely and you're left with nothing as the four apprentices drag you towards the castle. They may answer a few of your questions (with some insults and curses peppered in), but they won't tell you anything important.
Once you arrive at the castle you're brought to the dungeons and thrown into a locked cell. There are four people to a cell, and two sets of bunk beds with a thin and lumpy straw mattress. If you're over six feet tall, these beds are going to be awfully uncomfortable. You might as well meet your roommates. Once per day you're dragged out to an enclosed courtyard for one hour of recreation (with some crude weights, benches, and balls lying around but not much else), where you can meet the rest of the prisoners, but you can also talk to your immediate neighbors in the cells on either side and across the hallway. Just don't yell too much or the guards will snap at you to be quiet.
Everyone in the dungeon is fed one meal a day, and for a prison meal it's decent: a bit of meat, a bun, and a salad. It would seem that the Thornean chefs take too much pride in their craft to send bad food to the dungeons. The meals are all served in equal portions, though, so the smaller prisoners may be overfed and the larger ones may be getting hungry. Feel free to fight for food or share with your cellmates.
Crudely embroidered on the back of every prison tunic is the same image that was on your card and the name of the sign beneath it. A guard may explain a bit about the sign, and tell you some negative stereotypes they hold about yours.
You may be blessed with a visit from one of the more welcomed newcomers, and they may sneak you some extra food or a small book to read or they may share some of the information they've gathered. However, rumors travel fast and some people believe the honored guests in the castle above are somehow responsible for the lot of the prisoners below. And although you may hope for kindness, there's nothing stopping them from being cruel to you if they wish. The guards will certainly turn a blind eye if one of them wishes to take out their frustrations on you.
Questions
How do I choose a scenario for my character?
Pick whichever situation appeals to you most. Whether your character is honored or imprisoned has nothing to do with their personal morality, or how highly they regard themselves and their own accomplishments. Anyone can be put into either situation.
Can I try out both scenarios?
You can! But please keep in mind that only the one you eventually choose can be game canon, if you decide to keep any of your TDM threads.
What happens if my character refuses to comply with Ambrose?
Prisoners will be dragged against their will. Honored guests will be forgiven for their moment of panic or anger if they have one, and Ambrose and the apprentice mages will try to calm them and persuade them further. If they put up too much of a fight and/or start actively attacking anyone, Ambrose will warn them once that he's willing to put them back in the well where they came from (see below), and if they continue to fight he will make good on that promise.
My character intends on causing a lot of trouble (destroying parts of the castle, murdering the castle staff, etc.), what would happen to them?
Characters who make too much trouble for the mages and other staff would be thrown back in the well (which will mean drowning in the void, not returning home). Brawling with other PCs and causing minor damage is fine and will be greeted with a cranky attitude (if they are an honored guest) or a punishment like denial of food or temporary solitary confinement (if they are a prisoner), and there will be plenty of opportunity for destruction and murder later, but for now the Thorneans have no desire to keep huge liabilities around.
Ambrose will take it especially personally, as this experiment was his idea and too much trouble would risk the summoning spell being scrapped and potentially result in him being demoted. Rest assured it does not take much for him to throw someone back in the well at this point in time.
Is the power loss for the prisoners permanent?
No, although honored guests will regain their powers first due to the lack of interference from Ambrose, the prisoners will be able to regain theirs soon enough as well.
Can the prisoners talk about anything private, or will they be overheard at all times?
There are guards patrolling the dungeon, but they aren't always within earshot. Most of the attention is being focused on the new guests, so the prisoners will have some opportunities for privacy.
Can my character leave the castle?
For now they will be prevented from leaving the castle, even if they are an honored guest. A bit of a gilded cage, isn't it? They'll also find that any powers they regain cease to work outside of the castle walls (this is also a temporary effect) so flying outside is not an option.
Can my character eventually side against Thorne if I choose to make them an honored guest/can they side with Thorne if I choose to imprison them?
Yes, characters in Scenario 1 will be able to betray Thorne, and characters in Scenario 2 can work themselves into Thorne's good graces.
How much will my choice of scenario affect my character's plot later on?
This choice will have a major impact on gameplay throughout the first few months of the game, and potentially a bit beyond that depending on where our players guide the plot. This decision - and every other major decision you make in game! - will also be used to flavor some mod surprises that will be coming down the line.
Don't get too anxious about this choice, though; this is just one choice you'll get to make in a game that has a lot of them, and every character in both scenarios can work their way towards many, many individual goals and outcomes. You're not locking yourself out of anything in the future via the choice you made on the TDM. It will primarily impact the immediate future with the far-reaching effects being up to each player.
Are TDM threads mandatory for my application?
No, you may use other samples, but we encourage you to post to the TDM and get a feel for this game and its mechanics before you join. If you do not have a TDM thread you will still need to choose one of the two scenarios on your application.
What if I haven't settled on a sign yet?
You can ignore sign-related prompts if you're undecided (or try out different signs in different threads).
Can a put a character on the TDM if their canon is less than 30 days old?
Yes. For this app round, anything that's at least 30 days old when the game opens on June 12th can be applied from.
Do the apprentice mages have names?
Their names are Jeffrey, Grigory, Noelle, and Jolene.
Arrival
You awaken suspended in the abyss, silent darkness stretching out in all directions. If you try to yell, you'll find that the sound doesn't carry. If you try to move, you'll find it's impossible to tell whether or not you're actually getting anywhere. If you reach for an item you were carrying last time you remember being awake, your hand will only touch bare skin.
You're naked and floating helplessly through the void, and what little air you have in your lungs is running out.
There's a pinprick of light that almost looks like a faraway star but as it grows it becomes clear that it's actually quite close. Through the opening you can see a bright room, but it's hard to make out any individual objects, as if you're looking from beneath rippling water.
A hand plunges through and you realize water is just what it is. Whether you take hold of the hand or not it will grab you and yank you up through the surface, lifting you out until you're sprawled on solid ground. Once you catch your breath, you can get a better look at the surroundings: tall trees and even taller stone pillars surround the platform you're laying on. Behind you is an ornate fountain, the base of which is so deep and so dark you might be compelled to scramble away from it lest it suck you back in to that endless abyss. Ahead of you are the walls of a large castle with several tall towers reaching up towards the sky.
If you had any powers, they feel unusually weak. Attempts to use magic or enhanced strength or powers of any sort fizzle out without any effect, but they don't feel completely gone, either.
Set into an indent on a marble slab behind the fountain is a card baring the image of one of the arcana.
An apprentice mage - the one whose hand lifted you out of the fountain - brushes the water off on their robes and runs back to join a group of three others, who all stare intently at a mage with highly decorated robes and a large, heavy book. He peers up at you for a moment and starts flipping through the book.
"I beg your pardon," he says, so absorbed in the pages of the book that he doesn't bother to look up, "I am Ambrose Rhett, the High Mage of the Kingdom of Thorne. One of my apprentices will explain everything in a moment, but please refrain from yelling and thrashing about until then. You're quite alright, and screaming gives me a hell of a headache."
Regardless of your response, he keeps flipping through the heavy tome, until he stops on one specific page, stares at it for a moment, and then exclaims:
"Aha!"
Scenario One: Welcome to Thorne
Ambrose's expression brightens, eyes twinkling with delight. He waves one of the apprentices over with a fine silk tunic, pants, and some basic sandals and with a wave of his hand they reshape to fit you perfectly.
"Success! It's a success!" he exclaims, slamming the book shut and scurrying towards you.
Now that he's not hunching over the book, he doesn't seem quite so stuffy and inapproachable. The apprentices all seem quite relieved at his jovial outburst, and the one that handed you the tunic stops to take the tarot card down from the marble slab. If you show any curiosity about the card, they'll let you take a longer look, but won't let you touch it.
"Please, come with me, you're an honored guest here," he says, motioning for you to follow him towards the castle, "As promised, my pupils will explain your current situation. And, ah - if you had any magic of your own, or other special abilities you can't access right now, fear not, they'll return within the week. The summoning takes a lot out of you."
One of the apprentices steps forward and rattles on and on about the castle, Thorne itself, the names of a bunch of royals and nobles, and of course, your reason for being here. The Kingdom and the world itself is in great peril, and tales of your exploits have reached far and wide across universes. If asked about these exploits, the apprentice will simply smile and shrug. The High Mage was happy to see you and that's good enough.
Once inside the castle you're taken to the North Wing, which has been set up as living quarters for you and your fellow newcomers. There are four people to a room, but each generously-sized bed has opaque curtains that can be drawn around it. You can meet your roommates here and discuss your shared situation (everyone appears to have arrived within the last few days), or you can wander around and meet the others.
There's also a dining hall stocked with all sorts of fancy food to meet every possible dietary need, and a library filled with epic tales and legends and the history of Thorne. Given that this is the Thorne library, it may be a biased account that makes the Kingdom look a fair bit better than the rest of the world sees them. Last but not least, there's a study hall where a few junior mages (younger and less experienced than the apprentices from earlier) might be willing to teach you some simple elemental magic. Think holding a small flame in the palm of your hand, or blowing a door shut with a gust of wind.
You may also notice that your sign is embroidered on your tunic: the same image you saw on the card from before with the name of the sign itself beneath it. If you ask the castle residents, they'll tell you a little bit about your sign (and will mostly stick to the positives, although some might point out the negatives).
Last (and, if you ask anyone else in the castle, least) there is a worn stone staircase leading underground to the dungeon. You can go there, if you wish, but all powers are restricted in the dungeons and spending too much time with the prisoners will lead to some suspicion being cast upon you. If you ask anyone why the prisoners are being held there, you'll be told that they pose a great threat to the Kingdom (and, by extension, the entire world).
Scenario Two: Imprisoned
The High Mage scowls, grinding his teeth as he slams the book shut. "Another failure!" he barks at the apprentices, "You lot wouldn't know your ass from a hole in the ground, would you?"
All four of them lower their heads, and two of them mumble an apology that Ambrose either doesn't hear or refuses to acknowledge. "Well, don't just stand there," he says, waving a hand in the air, "We've put all this effort into getting this wretched creature, we may as well put it to good use."
One of the apprentices drops a baggy, rough-feeling tunic, a pair of pants, and some worn sandals in your lap and glares down at you until you put them on (if you refuse, they'll tell you they can kick you back down that well if you don't want to cooperate). They're glaring at the High Mage as much as they're glaring at you (when they're sure he isn't looking, anyway). You might catch one of them long enough to ask them why they're so upset with you, but all they'll say is that the High Mage knows something they don't, and he's awfully upset about it.
Once you're fully clothed, another apprentice clamps some heavy iron shackles around your wrists and leads you on. The High Mage is far ahead of you already, muttering some long string of Thornean curses before he stands up straight and pauses, spinning to face you.
"One more thing," he says, holding one hand in the air and chanting something under his breath, "Can't have you getting too troublesome."
If you had powers, the slight connection you still had to them slips away completely and you're left with nothing as the four apprentices drag you towards the castle. They may answer a few of your questions (with some insults and curses peppered in), but they won't tell you anything important.
Once you arrive at the castle you're brought to the dungeons and thrown into a locked cell. There are four people to a cell, and two sets of bunk beds with a thin and lumpy straw mattress. If you're over six feet tall, these beds are going to be awfully uncomfortable. You might as well meet your roommates. Once per day you're dragged out to an enclosed courtyard for one hour of recreation (with some crude weights, benches, and balls lying around but not much else), where you can meet the rest of the prisoners, but you can also talk to your immediate neighbors in the cells on either side and across the hallway. Just don't yell too much or the guards will snap at you to be quiet.
Everyone in the dungeon is fed one meal a day, and for a prison meal it's decent: a bit of meat, a bun, and a salad. It would seem that the Thornean chefs take too much pride in their craft to send bad food to the dungeons. The meals are all served in equal portions, though, so the smaller prisoners may be overfed and the larger ones may be getting hungry. Feel free to fight for food or share with your cellmates.
Crudely embroidered on the back of every prison tunic is the same image that was on your card and the name of the sign beneath it. A guard may explain a bit about the sign, and tell you some negative stereotypes they hold about yours.
You may be blessed with a visit from one of the more welcomed newcomers, and they may sneak you some extra food or a small book to read or they may share some of the information they've gathered. However, rumors travel fast and some people believe the honored guests in the castle above are somehow responsible for the lot of the prisoners below. And although you may hope for kindness, there's nothing stopping them from being cruel to you if they wish. The guards will certainly turn a blind eye if one of them wishes to take out their frustrations on you.
How do I choose a scenario for my character?
Pick whichever situation appeals to you most. Whether your character is honored or imprisoned has nothing to do with their personal morality, or how highly they regard themselves and their own accomplishments. Anyone can be put into either situation.
Can I try out both scenarios?
You can! But please keep in mind that only the one you eventually choose can be game canon, if you decide to keep any of your TDM threads.
What happens if my character refuses to comply with Ambrose?
Prisoners will be dragged against their will. Honored guests will be forgiven for their moment of panic or anger if they have one, and Ambrose and the apprentice mages will try to calm them and persuade them further. If they put up too much of a fight and/or start actively attacking anyone, Ambrose will warn them once that he's willing to put them back in the well where they came from (see below), and if they continue to fight he will make good on that promise.
My character intends on causing a lot of trouble (destroying parts of the castle, murdering the castle staff, etc.), what would happen to them?
Characters who make too much trouble for the mages and other staff would be thrown back in the well (which will mean drowning in the void, not returning home). Brawling with other PCs and causing minor damage is fine and will be greeted with a cranky attitude (if they are an honored guest) or a punishment like denial of food or temporary solitary confinement (if they are a prisoner), and there will be plenty of opportunity for destruction and murder later, but for now the Thorneans have no desire to keep huge liabilities around.
Ambrose will take it especially personally, as this experiment was his idea and too much trouble would risk the summoning spell being scrapped and potentially result in him being demoted. Rest assured it does not take much for him to throw someone back in the well at this point in time.
Is the power loss for the prisoners permanent?
No, although honored guests will regain their powers first due to the lack of interference from Ambrose, the prisoners will be able to regain theirs soon enough as well.
Can the prisoners talk about anything private, or will they be overheard at all times?
There are guards patrolling the dungeon, but they aren't always within earshot. Most of the attention is being focused on the new guests, so the prisoners will have some opportunities for privacy.
Can my character leave the castle?
For now they will be prevented from leaving the castle, even if they are an honored guest. A bit of a gilded cage, isn't it? They'll also find that any powers they regain cease to work outside of the castle walls (this is also a temporary effect) so flying outside is not an option.
Can my character eventually side against Thorne if I choose to make them an honored guest/can they side with Thorne if I choose to imprison them?
Yes, characters in Scenario 1 will be able to betray Thorne, and characters in Scenario 2 can work themselves into Thorne's good graces.
How much will my choice of scenario affect my character's plot later on?
This choice will have a major impact on gameplay throughout the first few months of the game, and potentially a bit beyond that depending on where our players guide the plot. This decision - and every other major decision you make in game! - will also be used to flavor some mod surprises that will be coming down the line.
Don't get too anxious about this choice, though; this is just one choice you'll get to make in a game that has a lot of them, and every character in both scenarios can work their way towards many, many individual goals and outcomes. You're not locking yourself out of anything in the future via the choice you made on the TDM. It will primarily impact the immediate future with the far-reaching effects being up to each player.
Are TDM threads mandatory for my application?
No, you may use other samples, but we encourage you to post to the TDM and get a feel for this game and its mechanics before you join. If you do not have a TDM thread you will still need to choose one of the two scenarios on your application.
What if I haven't settled on a sign yet?
You can ignore sign-related prompts if you're undecided (or try out different signs in different threads).
Can a put a character on the TDM if their canon is less than 30 days old?
Yes. For this app round, anything that's at least 30 days old when the game opens on June 12th can be applied from.
Do the apprentice mages have names?
Their names are Jeffrey, Grigory, Noelle, and Jolene.
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Nadine Cross | The Stand | The World
It isn't that she doubted she had some great destiny, or that her life was at the whim of some great magic force. She'd known that since she was twelve. But this wasn't it. This is all wrong. After everything she'd done, after all she'd given up and allowed to be done to her...she'd bought her future at too high a cost, she deserved what she'd paid for.
But there's nothing she can do. She has no power of her own, and even if she did, she understood it would be useless right now. All she has is the tunic the people calling themselves mages gave to her - even the stone she's worn around her neck most of her life is gone. Nadine feels naked without it. Why her?
The idea of sharing living quarters isn't a thrilling one, but at least the beds offer some small bit of privacy. She lingers in the doorway, white hair still damp, frowning thoughtfully at the interior and whoever else may already be there. The sign of The World is embroidered on her tunic.
While not terribly interested in exploring this place, there's little else to do and knowledge, as the old public service messages always said, is power. The library seems the most likely place to start, and Nadine can be found puzzling over book titles and flipping through old tomes with a fierce sort of determination.
The study hall also sounds like it may offer much needed information on this place...but Nadine is immediately distracted. This seems the most unreal of anything she's encountered so far - not that she's been here very long. Turning to the first fellow-abductee she sees, she finds herself asking:
"Is this real? They can just...teach us magic?"
study hall.
Granted, in those days it'd been with regards to Sunny learning of how much physical strain his body could take before it went beyond the limit. Magic, he thinks, is far beyond the capabilities he was trying to stretch as a boy, but he's seen stranger things since, and it doesn't seem entirely crazy to give it a shot.
Frankly, he's just glad to have direction in something.
Hands on his hips, Sunny watches a few of the young mages do their work. It's the manipulation of the elements, he realises: earth, air, water, fire. It's as fascinating as it is bewildering.
"Which one interests you most?" he asks, pointing in the direction of the on-going training. "Picking a focus makes it easier to train."
no subject
How many times has Nadine said the very same thing? It's logic that can't be argued with, how would she know? Besides...she has experience with magic, even without wielding it herself. In a way, it's been a part of her life since she was a teenager.
"I...I don't know." She shakes her head, watching the apprentices at their studies. It looks so simple and natural, the way they work. But she quickly corrects herself, after a moment of observing.
"Fire," she ammends.
no subject
"Then let's figure fire out," he says, moving from the corner he and Nadine had been observing from to seek the bookshelves in the room out.
Throughout the years, Sunny's learned plenty of techniques-- most of them related to killing, yes, but the point remains: everything looks difficult when you've never done it before, but everything can be studied, too. They're lucky that the study hall is so well-equipped; back when Sunny had been a Colt in training, the only way he learned anything was through physical toil and getting his ass kicked.
The more amicable apprentices had showed them where the resources for beginners were. Sunny approaches the shelves now, lips pursed as he looks at the symbols and sigils marked on the ribbons of various scrolls. He suspects, by virtue of scrolls being shorter than books, that they must be easier to digest (gods, he hopes so).
"Which one do you think is for fire?"
no subject
"I'm sorry if this is a weird question, but...have you ever been a teacher?" Because it's the sort of question one asks when teaching, and it's pleasantly familiar. "If not, I'd guess you'd probably be a natural."
She talks as she eyes the scrolls, giving them the same consideration an archeologist might on uncovering a fascinating new find. Symbols are usually intuitive, designed to evoke what they mean, and the elements...
After a moment's deliberation, she plucks a scroll with symbol that looks like (to her at least) a triangle with a curl of flame within it.
no subject
"I only had one student," he admits, "but yeah, I've taught before." Sunny's arms cross over his chest, his gaze on the assortment of reading materials before them. "Never any magic, but I'm trying to think of it as another skill."
The hardest thing about this might have been coming to terms with doing things he previously thought impossible. Fortunately, he's had enough of a shock in terms of supernatural abilities that it's not quite so difficult to swallow-- if the only thing needed to get better at magic once you manage it is practise and training, then his work ethic should be able to see him through.
But he's not keeping his hopes up.
The scroll that Nadine pulls looks the same as all the others, save for the symbol. Sunny goes to stand by her as she opens it, his brows pulling together once its contents are revealed.
"Oh," he says, relieved. There's a bit of reading, but most of it is diagrams, and that's infinitely easier.
Sunny points to one such diagram, showing a basic stance: feet spaced apart, knees slightly bent, hands placed one over the other-- fingertips atop either wrist-- and held in front of one's chest.
"Fire..." There's a brief delay as he tries to read. "Fire comes from within."
And so you must feel its energy flow through you, best understood through deliberate movement of the body, the rest says, but Sunny decides not to have Nadine suffer through him muttering that poorly.
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
living quarters
He's languishing in his own bed when he happens to catch a glimpse of someone in the doorway and he lets out a low whistle, kind of surprised. Lloyd sits up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed.
"Well I'll be damned, you're a sight for sore eyes."
Maybe a bad turn of phrase considering the last time he actually saw her, but he's not known for subtle.
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"Excuse me?"
And apparently housing is co-ed. Fantastic. But...the guy on the bed didn't exactly sound like he was just idly flirting. His tone of voice is clear with familiarity and recognition.
"Do...I know you?"
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"Well, now my feelings are a little hurt." They're not, but he feels the need to be just a teensy dramatic.
"Lloyd Henreid. Maybe it's just not stickin' in your brain due to the fact that there were a lot of moving parts to Flagg's operation."
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"I'm sorry, I didn't realize you're one of Randall's people." It is a big operation, and she's been kept away from the most of it while spying in Boulder. "I...didn't really have much time to get caught up on what's going on in Vegas before I ended up...in this place. But it's good to know there's a friend here."
If he's one of Flagg's, then that makes him friendly. And already puts her in a slightly better position than she'd been in five minutes ago.
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This is all confusing, especially since he very much remembers meeting her and then..well. Everything. Hey, if he's acting awkward about it it's just because he's new to her, right?
"None of that really matters here, right? Far as I can tell, Trips didn't touch this place, so. It's kind of like a fresh start. Although, I'm gonna be honest, I don't know what the hell they were thinking." Or what them being here means, or the importance of those signs.
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Study Hall
He really needs a cigar though.
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Well, the naked and in a well part, at least. Some other location, without any clear traveling...that's not as far beyond her realm of experience. But even that she has some small, limited control over.
Nadine looks up - and up - at the man with a shrug. That is a big man!
"This all seems like some kind of weird fever dream, to be perfectly honest."
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Smoker nodded. "Same. Just a little too consistent for one though. Damn." Plus even his dreams didn't deprive him of cigars! He held up a single finger and tried to concentrate on bringing back his smoke powers. Nothing doing. Well, whatever. Now he's just an idiot staring intently at his finger, waiting for it to do something. Yeah. Okay, no more of that for now. "Any of the magic types strike you as most logical?" That's a joke, because magic and logical don't mix.
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But apparently things are different here. And a part of her - a large and hungry part - wants magic of her own.
"Logical? Well...I'd say that's whichever one has the most practical applications in daily life." Or would come in handy most in an emergency. "Fire or water, I think."
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"Why do you think fire and water have the most practical applications?" Not judging, just curious to her answer.
In general people assumed logia like fire and ice or magma were the best, or strongest, but in Smoker's experience, even rubber, earthquakes, or no devil fruit at all could be just as strong.
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study haaalllllll
Volunteer yourself and see.
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[Nadine glances over, giving the older man a brief once over. She hasn't noticed any real pattern or common factor in the people brought here. But this one...he seems more intently focused, more grave and grim than others she met.]
It just seems a little weird, that they'd offer that to us. Not that any of this is normal, but...
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We've been brought here, bedded and fed, given free reign even of the dungeons and all those souls here 'on accident'. And added to this, we're invited to learn as much magic as we like.
[ Roland can't be sure of why precisely whey they're being offered this, but nothing comes for free, in his experience. Sooner or later. Likely sooner to his mind, they're going to asked to join a cause, or undertake some quests, or set something to rights. Dangerous somethings, he's certain. ]
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What do they want from us?
[There had to be a reason, a 'why', a point to it. Beyond what vague explanations the mages had offered. None of this was just being offered out of the kindness of anyone's heart, it doesn't work that way. Even the most supposedly altruistic have an agenda.]
We're important to them, for some reason. Necessary. Or they think we are, at least. But that doesn't make any sense.
living quarters
"Don't worry," she says. "I don't bite."
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Nadine holds up an apologetic hand and shakes her head, taking a few steps into the room.
"It's just been a really long day." Which she's sure is true for everyone who was pulled out of some magic well like a legendary sword. "I'm pretty over having to settle into some new, strange place again. And this is definitely the strangest of them."
Which says a lot, she thinks. But really, can she be so surprised? Hadn't she been promised everything would change?
"Guess we're roomies."
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"I'm Susannah," she adds, after a moment. "Susannah Dean."
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"Nice to meet you. I'm Nadine. Cross." Or is it Nadine Flagg now? She'd never thought about that, but she's rather fond of her name as it is. And just in case...it's probably best to keep that particular name quiet, at least for now. "From New Hampshire, if that means anything to you."
But she comes all the way into the room and takes a seat on a vacant bed, looking around the room from this angle. It's nice. If she has to be here, at least it's comfortable.
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She's watching Nadine thoughtfully as she takes her seat on the bed, Then she says, "Is it all right to ask what year it was when you left New Hampshire? It's been my experience that when people are drawn from one world to another in groups, they're rarely all from the same time."
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