School of Sorcery

A few minutes after Prentigold leaves the stage, you get your first glimpse of the other members of the faculty. Ten of them, at least. They're a varied bunch: some tall, some short, and some in-between; some thin and ascetic, some plump and finely-dressed, and some in-between; some old and wrinkled, some clinging to their youth and beauty for as long as possible, and some who are neither old nor young but have a peculiar ageless look about them. Descending from the stage, they approach the rows of seats where their new pupils are sitting, and divide them up into groups of four. Each group then leaves the room with one of the teachers.

In your new group, there's a skinny girl with tousled hair and a faint greenish tint to her skin, a tall girl dressed in shabby clothes, and a small boy wearing an oversized coat and an irrepressibly cheeky grin. You are called together by a woman dressed in green robes. She has dark green hair, cut boyishly short; her hands are covered in black, chitinous, claw-like gauntlets, and her eyes are like glittering emeralds. Her face is flawlessly beautiful, but in the same way that a statue is beautiful: it seems strangely devoid of life or character. She's an elf, you realise; her ears are small, delicately sculpted, and sharply-pointed. You have that in common, it seems.

She leads you out of the auditorium, along the corridor, up the stairs, and into a small office. Though spotlessly clean, it's a dingy, with flaking paint on the walls, cracks in the ceiling, and a tiny window with blurred glass that only lets in a little light. Everything in the room is plain and functional: there are five chairs; a desk with a selection of quills, an inkwell, and several neat stacks of paper on it; a wastepaper basket; and a bookshelf with a few yellowed tomes sitting on it. Evidently, she has only just moved in to this room, or else has made no effort to stamp her personality onto it.

'Good morning,' she says in a sweetly melodious voice, sitting down on the chair behind the desk. 'My name is Green Flame. For this year, at least, I will be your group tutor. That means I will be keenly observing your academic progress, discipline, and general welfare. If necessary, I will serve as your advocate within the faculty. Therefore, if you have any problems, you should come to me first. Is that understood?'

There is a general chorus of assent.

'Also, as a full-time teacher, I am this school's Master of Fire Magic,' says Green Flame. 'Or Mistress, possibly. But I prefer "Master".'

'Why?' asks the skinny girl you suspect of having goblin blood.

'It's better than being someone's mistress,' Green Flame replies. With a pointed finger, she indicates the other chairs. 'Please, sit down. And, if you wouldn't mind introducing yourselves, please do so.'

You and the other pupils sit down. The chairs are rather old and tatty, you notice. 'I'm Venta Durgensis,' says the girl with greenish skin. 'And yes, I have goblin blood.' She glares defiantly around at the rest of you. 'Got a problem with that?'

'Hey, some of my best friends are goblins!' the boy with the impish expression pipes up. 'Talented people. Taught me a lot about…' He gives a roguish wink. '…playing hide-and-seek. If you know what I mean.'

'No, I don't know what you mean.' Venta scowls at him.

'We'll discuss it later. Hey, want to earn some extra spending money? I've got some great ideas–'

'Perhaps this isn't the time,' Green Flame interjects. 'Discuss it later, as you said.'

'All right, ma'am,' says the boy, giving her a nod. 'My name's Philander Boole. I'm pleased to meetcha.' He holds out a hand for her to shake. Green Flame glances curiously down at his outstretched hand, but makes no move towards it. After a moment, he awkwardly lowers it, muttering, 'Just trying to be friendly, ya know?'

'I'm Isolia of the Sprawl,' says the tall girl, offering no information other than that. You're aware that 'the Sprawl' is the most run-down section of Tyrepheum, barely more than a shantytown, which probably means that she comes from a very poor family. You wonder how she managed to scrape together enough money to pay for her school fees.

Green Flame turns at last to you. 'And you are?'

'Dorian Valens,' you say. 'I have elven blood, but... actually, never mind.'

'All right,' says Green Flame, picking up a stack of paper from her desk. 'Now that we've been introduced, I'll give each of you a copy of this week's timetable.' She hands a sheet of paper to you and each of the other pupils. Examining it, you see that the lessons you must attend this week are planned out for you.

OOC: It looks rather like this:

'As you can see, on each weekday, you have lessons in the morning,' Green Flame explains. 'Then, you have a half hour for lunch. In the afternoon, you'll continue your work in study hall until five o'clock, when you'll have dinner. After that, your time is your own. Also, the weekends are your own.'

'Why do I have to attend "Literacy" lessons?' asks Venta, frowning. 'I already know how to read and write.'

'Those are important skills, the foundation of everything else you will do at this school,' says Green Flame. 'However, if you can prove to your class teacher's satisfaction that you already know everything you need to know, you may test out of that class and move on to something more exciting. Which reminds me, I'm supposed to schedule regular meetings with all of you, at least bi-weekly, to discuss your progress and how well you're settling in to this school. Shall we do that now?'

'Maybe later,' says Philander with a careless shrug. 'I'm still trying to figure this out.'

'I'll give you a tour of the school, show you where everything is,' says Green Flame, getting up. 'If you have questions, I'll answer them along the way. Come with me.'

She strides purposefully out of the room. After a moment, you and the other members of your new group traipse after her.

What questions do you want to ask? (Choose a maximum of six)
[] "So, you're an elf, are you?"
[] "You used to be a human being before someone… mutilated you, stripped you of your soul, and turned you into what you are now. Is that right?"
[] "'Green Flame' is a peculiar name, isn't it? Who gave it to you?'
[] "I thought elves were supposed to be soulless automatons. How come you're not?'
[] "Were you crafted by one of the Elder Gods?"
[] "Were you crafted by fey spirits?"
[] "Where did you come from originally?"
[] "How did you become this school's Master of Fire?"
[] "Do you like working here?"
[] "Is there any chance that we're related?"
[] "Is there anything you can teach us? Here and now, I mean."

[] "Why were we split into groups of four?"
[] "What activities are we expected to do together as a group?"
[] "Do we get to share a room? With bunk beds? Dibs on the top bunk!"
[] "Are we going to be in the same group next year? For the next five years?"
[] "What if we have… uh, a terrible argument and then refuse to work together anymore?"

[] "Exactly what do I have to do to test out of 'Literacy'?"
[] "If I manage to test out of one of my lessons, would I be able to choose a different lesson to go to?"
-[] "What other lessons are available?"
[] "Why is Alchemy a core subject?"
[] "Why do I need to learn Ritual Magic? Couldn't I just start off learning how to use Fire Magic, for example?"

[] "Tell me more about the school rules."
[] "What are the punishments for breaking the school rules?"
[] "Is there a minimum requirement for what we need to have achieved by the end of the academic year? If we don't meet that requirement, will we be expelled?"
[] "What do I need to have accomplished by the time I leave school in five years' time?"
-[] "If I want to carry on my studies at college, how can I do that?"

[] "Tell me about Prentigold."
[] "Tell me about the other teachers."
[] "Tell me about this school. Do you know any juicy secrets?"
[] "I'm interested in joining a club. What clubs are available?"
[] "Is there anything fun to do around here?"
[] "What if I want to go into town?"

[] Ask another question. (Write in: what do you want to ask?)

Chandagnac said:

'I'll give you a tour of the school, show you where everything is,' says Green Flame, getting up. 'If you have questions, I'll answer them along the way. Come with me.'

She strides purposefully out of the room. After a moment, you and the other members of your new group traipse after her.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

While you're jogging to keep up with her, you realise that there's something strange about Green Flame's gait. Her movements are graceful and elegant, but not particularly feminine; she prowls through the corridors like a fierce and dangerous predator, as if at any moment she's expecting to have to fight in a furious life-or-death struggle. Is that just the way she is? Or is there something particularly dangerous in this place, which you should be wary of?

'This is where you'll have Ritual Magic lessons,' says Green Flame, showing you into one of the classrooms. Inside, you find several neat rows of desks, chairs, a blackboard, and a lingering scent of bitter ashes. 'While you're in first year, at least. In second year and afterwards, you'll move to a different room.'

'I see… there are going to be forty of us in the same class?' you say, hazarding a guess, glancing around and making a rough estimate as to the number of seats available. 'So, why have we already been split into groups of four?'

'Battle mages work in teams, as part of the army. Weather wardens work in concert even when they're positioned hundreds of miles away from each other. Enchanters usually work alone, but they understand the need to work together on very large or complicated tasks. Three different types of wizard that this school is renowned for producing: all of them need to know how to work together as part of a team,' Green Flame explains. 'Therefore, this school puts a special emphasis on teamwork. Certain tasks, activities, and assessments will require you to work with a partner or with your group. From now on, the four of you are a team. You should look after each other. For the sake of your grades, if nothing else.'

'Don't we get a choice about this?' asks Venta, mutinously.

'There's always a choice,' says Philander, still smiling. 'In this case, the choice is simple: pass or fail.'

Venta doesn't acknowledge him. Instead, she asks, 'Are we going to be in the same group next year? For the next five years?'

'That depends. If one of you leaves this school and doesn't come back – for whatever reason – we'll find a replacement,' says Green Flame.

Philander's eyes light up; he looks excited. 'Do we get to share a room? With bunk beds? Dibs on the top bunk!'

'No. As first year students, you'll stay in the first-year dormitories. You each get a single bed. Boys stay in one dorm, girls in the other,' says Green Flame.

'You mentioned activities. What kind of activities are we expected to do together as a group?' you ask.

'Various,' is the reply. 'For example, when you've learned enough Ritual Magic, you may be asked to demonstrate your knowledge by working together to set up a powerful spell. Alternatively, you may be asked to complete a practical examination as a team.'

'What would this "practical examination" involve?' asks Isolia, in a whisper so quiet you can barely hear her.

'They're usually rather dangerous. Most recently, a group of students was sent to hunt mutated rats in the cellar.'

'Mutated how?' asks Venta.

'For many years, they'd been feeding on unwanted rubbish which nevertheless was suffused with magical energy: discarded ritual components, smashed and broken wands, potions that had been stashed in a corner and then forgotten about, and so on. Over time, they ingested so much magic that they grew to enormous size and developed strange powers of their own. Some of them could breathe fire, some could turn invisible, and some were completely covered in thick armour plate.'

'Did they survive? The students, I mean,' says Isolia.

'Yes, though I'm told they had a narrow escape.'

'Have the students and staff of this school been more careful about disposing of their rubbish since then?' asks Philander. He looks like he's trying to restrain himself from bursting out laughing.

Green Flame appears to give this question serious thought. 'No, I don't think so. The Headmaster said it was an excellent practical lesson. He seemed quite keen to have another one.'

'So, we've got that to look forward to,' Venta mutters under her breath.

'Uh, I wouldn't advise eating them,' Philander warns her. 'You don't know what all that magical energy would do to you.'

Baring her tiny fangs at him, Venta snarls angrily. 'Just because I have goblin blood doesn't mean I eat rats! That's racist!'

'You don't? Huh. Well, that's a shame. There's good eating on a rat – believe me, I know – I've eaten rat plenty of times,' says Philander. 'Hey, listen… if you ever change your mind, I can get you some plump, well-fed, healthy rats to eat, no problem. Just don't eat the mutated monstrosities which live underneath this school, all right?'

Hastily, trying to change the subject – while behind you, Venta explodes at Philander – you say to Green Flame, 'I'm interested in joining a club. What clubs are available?'

'I'll find you a list. There should be one on the noticeboard next to the main entrance. I'll take you there after…' She pauses, evidently decides that the tour has delayed for long enough, and then says, 'Come on, let's keep moving. No dawdling, please.'

She lopes off and away. You and the other members of your group have to scramble to catch up with her.

On your tour around the school, she shows you where to find the other classrooms, the first-year dormitories, the study hall, the library, the sports hall, several bathrooms, the dining room and the observatory. After that, you have to go outside and walk across the grounds to reach the greenhouses and the small, well-ventilated building in which the alchemists' laboratory is kept isolated from the rest of the school.

'Some days, they release clouds of noxious fumes out into the city,' Philander explains. 'People have died. That's why property prices are so low 'round here, even though it's a nice area.'

Venta rolls her eyes at him. 'Yeah, right.'

'It's true, I swear! Cross my heart and hope to die, drop down dead if I tell a lie!'

'Is that a promise?' says Venta with an unpleasant smirk.

At this point, you feel the need to tug on Green Flame's sleeve and say, urgently, 'We're supposed to work together as a group for the next five years, right? But… uh… what if we have a terrible argument and… what if we can't work together?'

She looks impassively down at you. 'I believe the Headmaster would tell you, "That's a problem for you to solve. In solving it, you have an opportunity to become stronger, to better yourself, and to forge your group into a truly impressive team. Don't waste it."' Her impression of Prentigold's voice is remarkably good; you can almost imagine that it's him speaking to you.

When you head back inside, Green Flame shows you the noticeboard with the list of clubs and societies pinned to it. You scrutinize it carefully.

OOC: It looks something like this:

'Why is the "Society of Pyromancers" crossed out?' you ask. 'And the "Society of Cryomancers" as well?'

'The Pyromancers were enthusiastic advocates of fire magic. Their society was banned after they burnt down one of the school outbuildings. Their rivals, the Cryomancers, were practitioners of ice magic. Their society was banned after they managed to destroy the school's plumbing system,' says Green Flame. 'Also, I should make you aware that the Dueling Club is not open to first year pupils.'

You glumly examine the sheet again. 'So… the only clubs I'm allowed to attend are the ones that don't involve using magic?'

'That's not true!' cries Philander. 'We could sign up for the Bladderwrack league!'

'What's Bladderwrack?' you ask. Already you suspect that you're going to regret asking that question. Philander launches into an absurdly-detailed explanation of the game he refers to as "the sport of kings! Mage-kings, that is!"

'It's a sport. Two teams, a playing field divided into two halves, and two goals. Neither team is allowed to venture into the other team's half. Instead, they must move the ball into the other team's goal by magic,' Green Flame explains much more succinctly. 'Originally, the game was played with inflated pig bladders, which were often "wrecked" and had to be replaced. Hence the name "Bladderwrack".'

'I thought bladderwrack was a type of seaweed,' you mumble.

'Oh, it is. That's why it's considered lucky to wear a sprig of seaweed while you're playing the game,' Philander assures you. 'All the top players do it!'

You're starting to get a headache. Philander's relentless enthusiasm is wearing you down. You just have a few more questions and then maybe you can go to lunch.

'Anyway, uh… can you tell me about the school rules?' you ask.

'In their simplest form, the school rules can be boiled down to a few guidelines: take pride in yourself and your work, and be as good a student as it's possible for you to be; do nothing to damage the school's property or reputation; and do no harm to other students, staff members, or innocent civilians,' says Green Flame.

You ponder for a moment, then give a nod. 'And what happens if someone breaks those rules? How do they get punished?'

'It depends on the severity of the offence. For minor acts of rule-breaking, a warning – or what some of my colleagues refer to as a "stern talking-to" – is usually enough. Provided that they don't do it again. As punishment for more serious wrongdoing, the culprit might have some of their free time or privileges taken away from them; they might be banned from attending a club they enjoy, or forced to spend their evenings sweeping and cleaning instead of spending time with their friends. Also…' Her face, normally so expressionless, briefly spasms in a faint grimace of distaste, which is gone almost as soon as it appears. '…some of my colleagues believe that pain is the best teacher. Better than them, certainly. They are firm believers in the use of canes, whips, rods and other instruments of corporal punishment for the purpose of correcting errant behaviour. Beware of them.'

Venta covers her mouth with one hand, looking nervous for the first time since you met her this morning. 'And how do they feel about… uh, for example, people with goblin blood?'

'I think… anyone who could be so eager to hurt a child for what they think is a "good" reason… could quite easily bring themselves to hurt a child for not-such-a-good reason,' Green Flame says slowly and carefully. 'If they're having a bad day, for example.' Very deliberately, she turns her head to gaze at each of you in turn. 'If that boy won't stop talking all the time. Or if that girl "disrespects" them by turning up to a lesson in tatty clothes. Or if that other boy won't stop being annoyingly hesitant. Or that other girl, because she's got goblin blood, she probably deserves it.' She pauses and takes a deep breath. 'That is what they might think.'

'How can we prevent that?' you ask. 'If they're the teachers, it's not like we can avoid being in lessons with them.'

'Look out for each other. You're a team: act like it,' says Green Flame. 'And, if there are any incidents, inform me immediately. I will protect you as well as I can.'

'That's not entirely reassuring,' Venta mutters.

'Back to my questions,' you say. 'If we don't do well enough in our schoolwork, what will happen? Will we be sent away?' You don't think you could bear the shame of that happening and having to explain it to your parents.

'If your academic performance is unsatisfactory, the most likely outcome is that you will be asked to repeat a year. Which could be very expensive. If someone else is paying for your school fees, I doubt they'd be very pleased; they might refuse to pay anymore. Therefore, financial pressures could lead to your being forced to drop out of school and find paying work instead. Alternatively, if it becomes clear that a pupil has no magical aptitude and their attendance at this school is a waste of time, the Headmaster will recommend that they find a different school: one better suited to their talents.'

'Sounds like it's pretty hard to get expelled from this school as long as you're still paying the fees,' Philander says cynically.

Green Flame gives a small nod. 'Indeed. Most of the expellable offenses listed in the school rules are serious crimes, of the kind which would theoretically require us to notify this city's law enforcement officials. Also, "pupils who demonstrate flagrant disregard for staff members' authority by their sustained and persistent rule-breaking" can be expelled, but it's a more difficult process, usually involving lawyers.' She turns her nose up at that last word, as if she'd just said something disgusting. 'Which is why Prentigold doesn't usually bother to expel pupils that way, unless they're really, really obnoxious.'

Over the past couple of hours, while she's been leading you around the school, it seems like Green Flame has become more animated than she was before: her facial expressions are more easily discernible and her manner of speech seems more emotional. You wonder why that is. Maybe she's warming up to you?

'What do we need to have accomplished by the time we leave school in five years' time?' you ask.

'I suppose that's up to you. What do you want to do in your adult life?' asks Green Flame. 'Do you want to be a battle mage, fighting against the empire's enemies? Or would you rather be an enchanter, crafting magical items like beautiful works of art? Or do you have ambitions of becoming a highly-respected court mage: an advisor to magistrates, regional governors, or even the emperor himself? Whatever you hope to become, you should work towards gaining the requisite skills, knowledge, and magical powers.'

Philander looks alarmed. 'Isn't it a bit early to be thinking about what we're going to do when we leave school?'

'I don't think so,' Green Flame replies. 'If you don't set goals, if you don't know where you going or how you're going to get there, how can you know if you're moving in the right direction?'

'How did you get to be this school's Master of Fire?' asks Isolia, sounding curious.

'Some years ago, Prentigold told me it was my new role,' says Green Flame, sounding hesitant at first. Then, more confidently, as if it were a statement of fact, she says, 'Because I know fire magic better than anyone else.'

'You've mentioned fire magic – and ice magic, earlier on – but what other types of magic are there?' you ask.

'Many. Almost as many as people can imagine. At this school, we teach only nine: fire, ice, earth, water, weather, life, illusion, force, and mind. Some would say those are the nine most important. But perhaps you will have opportunity to learn some of the more esoteric magical arts: light, shadow, plants, wind, electricity, and sound, to name but a few. Before his mysterious disappearance, the old headmaster, Galadan, was a master of portal magic. Soul magic is usually considered to be the province of necromancers. Time magic is supposed to be ridiculously difficult and dangerous; I wouldn't recommend you try it, unless you like the idea of being reduced to dust.'

'A great saving in terms of food, clothes, and whatnot. But there's no future in it,' says Philander, philosophically. He glances around at you and the other members of your little group. 'Hey, are you hungry? Shall we go to lunch?'

There are a few nods and vague noises of assent.

'I think that would be a good idea,' says Green Flame. 'Enjoy the rest of today, for tomorrow your lessons begin. I will see you again soon.' She turns and strides away, back up the stairs.

In the dining hall, you grab a plateful of something warm and not-very-appetizing – well, it's not like there's a lot of choice on offer. Then, you sit down with your new group and attempt to engage them in conversation. It's hard going. Philander is happy to talk, but he and Venta won't stop bickering with each other. You struggle to get more than a few words out of Isolia. You've got a great deal of work to do if you want to turn this disparate group into a functioning team.