I think I might have preferred a combat log split for each round, though, like in the Puffs' game and Troll's fight, but having it all at the end was not bad (and it was probably easier for you, so it makes sense).
Surprisingly enough, no, I was afraid the rounds would serve as spoilers or distractions, but when I write, I already have them interspersed with the paragraphs. I'll go back to the old system.
Also, closing vote. Hopefully I'll get the chapter out before monday, but if not, it'll be delayed until tuesday, as I'll be away from my pc.
Scheduled vote count started by Karf on Dec 17, 2021 at 10:33 AM, finished with 43 posts and 24 votes.
[X] Plan: To the Peak
-[X][Training] Spiritual cultivation x1
-[X][Training] Physical cultivation x3
-[X][Social] You're still rattled from how much lesser the muggle world was. Check in on Hermione and the other muggleborns to see whether they've had similar experiences.
--[X][Points] 3 points
-[X][Social] You're invited for tea with Lavender Brown - she says it'll be a small gathering, but that it should be fun.
-[X][Social] Tracey Davis offered to be your friend... or was it the other way around? Regardless, you wouldn't mind another lesson on immortal customs, and her straightforward manner can be refreshing.
[X] Plan Varias
-[X][Training] Spiritual cultivation
-[X][Training] Physical cultivation x2
-[X][Training] Charms
-[X][Social] Hurricane Chang has decided to spend an afternoon with you, and the topic of the day is obviously going to be Quidditch.
-[X][Social] You're still rattled from how much lesser the muggle world was. Check in on Hermione and the other muggleborns to see whether they've had similar experiences.
-[X][Social] Tracey Davis offered to be your friend... or was it the other way around? Regardless, you wouldn't mind another lesson on immortal customs, and her straightforward manner can be refreshing.
[X] Plan: Exam Prep
-[X][Training] Physical cultivation x3
-[X][Training] Spiritual cultivation x1
-[X][Social] You're cornered by Hannah, who demands an exact retelling of your impromptu healing under the merciless hand of Madam Pomphrey.
-[X][Social] You've never been in a choir before, but you're not about to let that stop you from going to the audition when you find Elder Flitwick in the common room, posting a notice on the board advertising the Hogwarts Choir.
--[X][Points] 3 points
-[X][Social] You're invited for tea with Lavender Brown - she says it'll be a small gathering, but that it should be fun.
[X] Plan: To the Peak of Cooking
-[X][Training] Spiritual cultivation x1
-[X][Training] Physical cultivation x3
-[X][Social] You're still rattled from how much lesser the muggle world was. Check in on Hermione and the other muggleborns to see whether they've had similar experiences.
--[X][Points] 3 points
-[X][Social] Terry has heard that you know the secret to accessing the kitchen. He's promised you cookies if you take him and another of his fellow chefs to it, with implications of more bounties if you help them out further.
-[X][Social] Tracey Davis offered to be your friend... or was it the other way around? Regardless, you wouldn't mind another lesson on immortal customs, and her straightforward manner can be refreshing.
We went for the risky play and it didn't pay off. The solution is not to change strategy altogether (Astronomy), but simply to be less risky (in last turn's case, 4x Physical cultivation).
Or continue being risky and hope to stop being unlucky? ^^
For now, let's hope we get peak physical, at least, but it's basically 50/50 odds, so... we'll see.
So I dont see anything that lowers charms dice requirement, and that increase from d20 to d21, Looks really nice. I personally Want to go for that since that dice type affects everything. (the other Skill that Doesn't have something that lowers threshold is transfigration), So Once we get physical and spiritual up to peak (since thats what we need right?) Those are the two I would like to focus on, I would prefer charms since that give more chance complete the dice check.
So I dont see anything that lowers charms dice requirement, and that increase from d20 to d21, Looks really nice. I personally Want to go for that since that dice type affects everything. (the other Skill that Doesn't have something that lowers threshold is transfigration), So Once we get physical and spiritual up to peak (since thats what we need right?) Those are the two I would like to focus on, I would prefer charms since that give more chance complete the dice check.
Arithmancy, a third year elective, is the one that lowers the DC for Charms, if that's what you're asking.
We need spiritual and physical up to peak and also any 2 skills at Apprentice.
For value, the bonus from Transfiguration is better than the die-type increase from Charms, and the former is also halfway done, so it makes more sense to do that first.
The DC improving of the other skills is better than the die-type increase from Charms, but it's limited to the subject they affect, while Charms affects everything. So Charms is worse in the specific and better in general. That said, we're only missing 137 points to our Potions goal, which is obviously easier and more quickly done than Charms' 750.
So, the most optimal path is to finish the two cultivations, Transfiguration and Potions, then go from there.
8d100 +240 has a 30.03% chance of getting at least 688 (peak physical), whilst the spiritual 1d100+30 has no chance of getting 171.
If we'd put all 4 into Phys we'd have 11 successes, but then I knew this way was riskier.
Would anyone else be interested in having the Training votes be by plan, but leaving the social votes out of plans so people can vote for the training they think is optimal while still being able to vote for the social votes they think are most interesting without having to hope that said social votes are part of the winning training plan?
Free actions from Physical cultivation are a factor, but I think they could be accounted for.
Just say whatever are left over after the training plan, take the top however many social actions as the winning ones.
E.g. We're at peak physical with 2 free actions. If the winning training plan has 5 actions, take the top 3 social actions. If the former had 4 actions, take the top 4 socials.
Some of these are wilder conjectures than others, but with limited information, we can only guess. We currently have 2 open meridians (right hand and nose), and if breaking through can crack/harm them, there isn't much we can do about it except trying to make the process as safe as possible, I think.
Damaging our meridians is a risk, but I doubt it's something we need to be too concerned about for this breakthrough.
If anything I'd say having meridians would be more likely to make it easier, considering the luck needed to open them.
Nah, I stand by the idea that the potential gain was worth the risk, though depending on how the progress rolls go I'm willing to play it safe next month.
I still don't understand how the potion is supposed to have worked? If it gives +1 dice on 11+ there should be another dice for spir/phys1/phys3, unless the 'reroll on 1s' boon was lost? Unsure.
Anyway, yeah, the risky potion was taken and then the risky plan was chosen. This seems to be a pattern to try for getting 'just enough' success to get things on average, and it biting Rei's ass. Though she was incredibly lucky back when she got her phys cultivation as well as in a couple other turns, so it's not like the average lucky is bad, just that there is variance and the plans assumes the best. It's still *possible* for this gamble to have paid off, though having taken the safe potion /or/ a safer plan would have assured a snowball.
I still don't understand how the potion is supposed to have worked? If it gives +1 dice on 11+ there should be another dice for spir/phys1/phys3, unless the 'reroll on 1s' boon was lost? Unsure.
Odds were not that high. That lone action on Spiritual was pretty likely to accomplish nothing/little, and because of overall poor rolls (which are something we need to take into account), now it might also cause us to miss the goal of the remaining 3.
Furthermore, getting sect points is important (especially now that we're at 0), and splitting the training (especially away from the subject that had lower DC, hence higher odds of point gains) makes it less likely to happen.
We need to win with 893+ points over Gryffindor and hope for Slytherin to not win with more than whatever that is minus 495.
So, unlikely to say the least. Our best bet is to hope for a Slytherin loss against Hufflepuff (50/50 chances, basically) and for our win, of course (points don't matter, then).
[X][Social] You're still rattled from how much lesser the muggle world was. Check in on Hermione and the other muggleborns to see whether they've had similar experiences.
-[X][Points] 3 points
[X][Social] Terry has heard that you know the secret to accessing the kitchen. He's promised you cookies if you take him and another of his fellow chefs to it, with implications of more bounties if you help them out further.
[X][Social] Tracey Davis offered to be your friend... or was it the other way around? Regardless, you wouldn't mind another lesson on immortal customs, and her straightforward manner can be refreshing.
Any pool die greater than 10 adds another die to the pool (once) due to boon.
There's one last thing you need to do before you can shelve your potion equipment again and dive into the notes on the nature of Qi you got from Philip. The steaming jar of Radiant Rainbow Koi soup beckons you.
Bolstered by your potions and driven to your wits end, you pry open a window and grab a handful of snow from the outside, then stick in your mouth as a final coolant. Only then do you dip the spoon in the jar and give it a taste.
The soup is... fine. It tastes good, if a bit too salty for your tastes. But there's no explosion of Qi in your mouth, no grand revelation as you swallow. Thankfully the heat isn't scalding you, so the next spoonful can be taken without extra snow. Still, nothing happens. You go through half the jar before you're satisfied that dosage isn't the issue. The final thought you have is alkahest. Whether taking unknown potions is a good idea or not, you doubt the elder meant to poison you. However, a drop of the soup into a thimble of alkahest does nothing. The miracle liquid does not become more soup, it just has an oily blotch floating inside it. Drinking it also doesn't make you feel any different.
With a sigh, you seal the jar and put it back in your bag. then page through Philip's journal-manual once more. A lot of it has to do with the understanding of motion, and how to trap it or instill a whole scene into a single moment. It seems likely that you'd benefit the most by putting the wisdom to practice on yourself, but for the moment your mind remains distracted, so a session of meditation is in order.
Why would an elder give you a useless can of soup? Indeed, why does an elder do anything at all? Perhaps you're looking at the problem from the wrong angle - perhaps it's better to change the question instead. What was achieved by the gift? You certainly made plenty of progress last month, from knowing effectively nothing about potions to having two of them in your arsenal. Or maybe, the right question would be how it impacted your plans and deeds? Would your increased constitution, courtesy of your actions last month, help you understand your project for this month better by virtue of letting you keep active for longer?
Clearly, you've plenty to ponder on, not the least of which remains the idea of your cultivation being affected by the placebo effect. If it really was just good soup, what does that mean about your own motivation and training?
For the next several days you poke and prod at your actions, trying to reach an understanding. While no great revelations come to you, you do feel like you know yourself a bit better afterwards.
But as much as you might want to ponder the mysteries of the universe, your time is not infinite, and you have other plans to attend to.
You've done plenty of running since coming to Hogwarts, so you feel like you understand that specific motion quite well. Indeed, since it's easier to sense Qi in motion, the exercise works great for beginners. All motion is relative, so when you run, the mystic winds are especially evident. By now though, you're beyond needing such crutches, and the bombardment of energy almost hinders your study of the finer details. And, since the stopping of motion is naught but the flipside of animation aspects, you have just the exercise to turn to - yoga.
Well, it's not yoga in the classical, mortal sense, although that's what you start with. Each pose, held with minute precision for as long as you can, leads the flow of Qi around you, splitting streams of energy across your body. In from the top of your head, out through the contorted arm pressed against the ground, then a switch, and Qi bubbles from the ground into your feet, swirling into the muscles on your back before bursting out of your shoulders. How some lines help you maintain the stressful balancing act while others try to force you to fall, only for the roles to change as you slide into the next position. As you get better and better at recognizing what's going on in the metaphysical around you, you find yourself spending less and less time in a single pose, not because you couldn't, but because you feel your own Qi wanting you to move.
Slowly, the careful motions of yoga give way to something akin to a dance, although one with no rhythm or tempo. Handstands become cartwheels, touching the ground behind you transitions into a roll, balancing on the tip of your toes incorporates a spin, then a kick. All the while, you let your mind wander, sensing the way Qi moves with you, sloshing around your limbs before an explosive movement flicks it off, only to begin the whole cycle anew, glowing outward from your chest with each beat of your heart.
Twice you feel the strange space adjacent to physical reality expanding within you, and finally you think you find the word for it on a dive into the library - your Heart Dantian. There are supposedly three, and they're important in the Qi Condensation stage. Now that you know what to look out for, the space in your stomach that you often find Qi settling into as you meditate is obviously another - the Lower Dantian. The Head Dantian, you haven't found, although the name certainly gives it away, even if you don't know how to reach it just yet.
Once you know not to worry - not that you really were anyway, your own Qi would definitely never harm you - you dive back into your training. Although you don't reach another expansion this month, you feel like you're getting close, the peak realm within your grasp.
[X][Social] You're still rattled from how much lesser the muggle world was. Check in on Hermione and the other muggleborns to see whether they've had similar experiences.
-[X][Points] 3 points
Roll: 48
Organizing another meeting of the muggleborn faction is as simple as walking over to Justin and mentioning the idea to him. The boy immediately launches into an excited spiel about what a grand old idea another gathering would be, where all of you could exchange impressions. Thus, you find yourself arriving at the same study as last time, except this time you're arriving alone.
Roger and Dean are already present, and shoot you a wave. Lisa isn't coming, begging off and asking you to apologize in her stead, as she's busy with a crafting project. A few minutes later Hermione and Justin arrive together, the latter holding the door for a moment to let the other in.
"Greetings, everybody," the blond boy clears his throat, "Is Lisa coming?"
"Sorry, she couldn't make it."
"Well, I'm sure she's busy with important matters. Like we all are, really, so it's jolly good to see that we can still find the time to come together. What have you fellows been up to?"
Dean goes first, "Found this cool room with a stage last week, but I can't figure out how to get back there. It had curtains and a spotlight and everything, but I kind of stumbled into it at random, so now I'll give it another few days at most before declaring it a lost cause."
Hermione scoffs, "I keep telling people to take notes and keep a diary, but no one takes me seriously. Now you've lost a valuable cultivation site well suited to you. You really should consider a more structured approach to your cultivation, you know."
The other Gryffindor ignores her, "Beyond that, I've been hanging out with Lee Jordan and the Weasley twins. They've got some wicked stories, although I think they're just making most of them up as they go. Still fun."
"I've been trying to follow the Grey Lady. She gave me this look..." Roger trails off, having picked up the conversation next. "Let me tell you, it ain't easy to track someone who can go through walls, especially at Hogwarts. But she does give me hints, and I think I'm supposed to preempt where she'll show up next. A bit frustrating when I get it wrong and she's just waiting for me at the great hall or wherever before disappearing all disappointed again, but I'm getting better. Might even reach the peak realms by the end of the month."
Huh, you hadn't realized just how far along your housemate was.
"In both? How did you manage that?" Hermione asks.
"Dunno, just did, I'm sure there are plenty of students right on the cusp by now."
"Really?" the Gryffindor girl looks worried, "I thought I was ahead of the curve, and I'm only aiming for peak spiritual myself, this month."
Justin lets out a weak chuckle. "I hope that's the case. Maybe you could help me out some, if you've got the time? I just reached the middle realm, and I wanted to brew up another potion before I really got into Defense."
"That sounds like a good plan," you chime in, "At least that's kind of what I did, and being able to go for longer really helps with my training. My conditioning has shot up these last weeks like you wouldn't believe, so don't worry too much."
The Hufflepuff nods at you, and since everybody's attention is already on you, you decide to broach the topic you really wanted to bring up.
"On an unrelated note, did you guys go home for the holidays?"
Everybody nods, but Dean and Justin just look confused, whereas the others' Qi becomes a bit more guarded.
"I did too. It was nice to see dad again, but... am I the weird one or did things feel a bit different?"
"Different?" Dean asks.
"It wasn't... like Hogwarts. Did you really not notice anything?" you struggle to find the words.
"I felt it," Roger says. While he's not usually exactly loud, the quiet in his voice as he speaks tells much more than three words.
"Me too," Hermione says, for once with no follow-up.
"How do you deal with it?" you ask, finally reaching the crux of the matter.
"Time out!" Dean crosses his arms, "What are you guys talking about? What does different mean?"
To your surprise, it's Hermione who answers him. "Everything was dull, like reading an encyclopedia article about it, rather than a Dickens poem. Everything smelled like disinfectant. My desk was suddenly tiny, even though it could still hold the same amount of books."
"Could've been a growth spurt?" Justin says, but it comes out as a question - perhaps he felt it too, just less acutely, or he doesn't want to acknowledge it to himself.
"Nah," Roger shakes his head, "It's more than just rose-colored glasses. I hung out with some of my old mates, and every moment I thought I'd wake up from a strange dream where I already know what's going to happen. Risk is a lot less fun when you can see the winning move from the start of the game. It got so bad I unscrewed the bulb from my lamp and lit some candles. Everything sucked."
Silence descends on the five of you following the proclamation. He's not wrong, but you can't help but notice that no one answered your question.
"Summer's going to be even worse than usually," Hermione mutters.
That can't be the end of it. "There's got to be something we can do about it."
Dean still looks a bit perplexed, but nods along to you. "Yeah, maybe you should figure out why whatever it was only affected you, and not us."
"No offense mate, but the three of us are a bit more in tune with our Dao," Roger sighs, "I really hope this doesn't mean it'll get even more unbearable. Spending a month at Tony's for the break is starting to sound much more reasonable."
Another sullen silence develops, the mood thoroughly ruined. The three of you are lost in memories, while Dean still looks somewhere between confused and frustrated, and Justin is chewing on his cheek in worry. Eventually, he licks his lips and barely avoids stuttering as all attention falls on him. "Perhaps you should ask an Elder? Elder Sprout told us that we were always welcome with her when we needed aid."
"We shouldn't bother the Elders with our trifles," Hermione says, but her heart isn't in it.
"This really feels like more than a trifle," you reply absently, thinking. Justin's suggestion isn't a bad one, and now that you know the problem isn't just you, turning to a teacher seems more palatable. "At the worst, Elder Flitwick would just say that we're worried over nothing, if he was too busy."
"Yeah, but it's kinda late, and I think I want to meditate on it some more," Roger shrugs at your look, "You're about to storm into his workshop right now, and good on you, but I don't want to run to the Elders just yet. Let me know what he says though."
"Sure. Hermione?"
"I'll... think about talking with Elder McGonagall."
Of all the times to be shy. Still, you shoot an apologetic smile at Justin and stand up. "Thanks for the advice. Meeting adjourned?"
The blond boy nods back, "Don't be a stranger, you hear. I'm glad to help."
You bid the others good-bye and leave the room, starting the long trip from the basement levels to the clock tower. Only, the moment you turn the corner, you nearly shriek as you come face to face with a giant stone gargoyle that definitely wasn't there before. Moving statues are nothing new, but usually they don't loom over you with grotesque features, blocking your path. Then, the stone behemoth steps aside, the wall folding away as it frees the corridor, neatly turning into an alcove, which then further evolves into a spiraling staircase, the wings of the gargoyle tucked in to let you see the steps floating up behind it.
"Uh, do you want me to go up?" you ask, feeling a bit silly, but the statue has apparently done all it set out to achieve, remaining silent and motionless in its place. Hesitantly, you duck past it and onto the stair, which corkscrews up a well-lit shaft. The rise is fast and relatively short, and in seconds you come face-to-knocker with a simple oaken door. Before you have a chance to grab the object, a voice calls out from behind the door.
"Come in."
You push, and enter a circular study. The walls are lined with bookcases or curio displays. Dozens of brass or glass instruments tick, whirr or puff away, and you can't even begin to guess what they're used for. There's a fireplace with a merry flame, a pair of woolen socks hung to dry on the mantlepiece, and an empty plinth with soot and ash beneath it. The center of the room however, is dominated by a massive table filled to the brim with parchment. Behind the desk, a pair of piercing blue eyes glimmer at you over a pair of half-moon spectacles.
"Honored Ancestor," you stutter, "I didn't realize- This one is sorry for..."
"Dear Miss Young, it would be a sad day indeed when a young disciple doesn't answer the call of adventure at Hogwarts. You are exactly where you need to be. Really, it is I who should be apologizing for barging in like this, and call me Albus, or just a sir will do - all the titles really become a mouthful at my age."
'Albus?'
The sect master merely chuckles at your expression, "Your friend from Hufflepuff gives good advice, and it does you credit that you recognize it. Was there perhaps something you wanted to ask?"
You're starting to see why Roger wanted to meditate before going to the Elders. Your thoughts are a tumbling mess, so you just open your mouth and hope that what comes out forms a coherent sentence. "Honored Ancestor, sir, why don't I want to go home for the summer?"
The man sighs, suddenly looking much older, "It is the unfortunate reality, as much as I want to deny it. When a blind man paints a picture of a sunset, the broad strokes might be technically correct, but the nuance and detail gets lost, the wonder and beauty will be different from an actual sunset. It isn't that the image can't be beautiful, but when you've seen the real thing, you'll always know."
He stands, shimmering purple robes hiding his hands, and walks over to one of the display cases. "Over the last few centuries, the muggles have truly defied the Heavens much more than any cultivator ever could, but as an associate of mine once said: 'everything has an equal and opposite reaction'. I suspect he never knew how correct he was. Their world has become tamed, but in many ways, weaker for it. The idea that twelve year old kids can choose their own schedule would be anathema to them, but the freedom we so value as immortals means that a third of your peers failing their first year in the sect is an acceptable trade-off."
"So there's nothing I can do about it?"
"In some ways, no. But in others... The initial shock is always the hardest, and I dearly wish I had a way to shield my disciples from it, but the longer it's put off, the worse it hits, I've been lead to believe. And for a while yet, there are other band-aids: your loved ones are still just as special and important. You needn't worry about growing to dismiss your father - at least no less than any child who at some point must discover that the adults can be fallible. Cherish those bonds for as long as you have them. Love is the source of wonder, mortal or immortal, and wonder is the wellspring from which Qi flows into this Earthly Realm. Never forget that, Miss Young."
"Or perhaps," he continues, turning to you with something held in his hands, still hidden by the sleeves of his robes, "you can take comfort in the fact that you are far from the first disciple that I've advised on this very topic, and most of them find their own answers eventually. And - if they're some of my more promising students - I offer them a customary deal: a boon from me for three of your hard-earned points."
You don't even need to see what you're getting before you accept.
-[][Boon] A silver strand of memory
An ephemeral wisp of softly glowing magic held in velvet inside a tiny wooden box, it undulates and shifts of its own accord, surrounded by curious and inquisitive Qi.
The next time you choose a boon, it's effects last for two turns instead of one.
-[][Boon] A crimson feather dripping ash
The contour feather is small and warm to the touch, fine white flakes of ash leaving your fingers dusty whenever you handle it. It also radiates a mixture of Qi that fills you with warmth and joy.
For the next turn, the average of the highest two social rolls is added to each training actions' respective total progress
-[][Boon] A polished shard of a mirror
The girl looking back at you from the reflection looks a bit different. More fey, and whimsical; you catch yourself winking at... yourself a few times.
For the next turn, your skills (i.e. everything except History and Defense) count as one milestone higher.
[X][Social] Terry has heard that you know the secret to accessing the kitchen. He's promised you cookies if you take him and another of his fellow chefs to it, with implications of more bounties if you help them out further.
Roll: 73
"So who else are we meeting?" you ask your housemate as the two of you head for the great hall.
"Megan. She's in Hufflepuff, but she's wanted to hunt down the pumpkin juice recipe since Halloween," Terry replies as the staircase touches down.
Goes to show you shouldn't make assumptions, you thought the secret to the kitchen was common knowledge in Hufflepuff. You make a mental note to keep your source to yourself. Just in case.
"It was different from the usual stuff?" you prod him, having missed the feast yourself. Before Terry gets a chance to answer however, you round the corner and find your third party member waiting.
"It really was, as I keep telling people. Much sweeter, but not saccharine. I thought it might have been citrus extract, but my attempts to replicate it have failed spectacularly so far. Hello, Brother Boot, Sister Young."
The girl has long, dark hair, beady blue eyes and a button nose. It takes you but a moment to place Megan Jones in your memory, and you nod back at her, "Sister Jones. Shall we? And please, call me Rei."
"Very well, Sister Rei. Has Brother Terry already offered you his services in exchange?"
"There was mention of cookies, yes."
"Excellent. I have a new breed of cocoa you simply must try."
The last part is directed at Terry, who groans. "Cookies are supposed to taste good, Megan. How am I going to bribe our guide with your experiments?"
A light blush rises on the girl's cheeks, "It's fine, this time the beans are brown like you wanted."
"This time?" you quirk an eyebrow, but your companions ignore you.
"It really wasn't the color that was the issue, although I'll be thankful if they no longer squirt red while I grind them."
"Don't be such a stick in the mud. I told you that you didn't need the hospital wing, and see: you're fine."
You let them bicker, half a step ahead of the pair as you lead the way down. It takes you a few minutes to find the right painting, but once you locate the cornucopia, the green pear really does stand out.
"Huh," Megan looks around, "This is... never mind."
Feeling a bit silly, you poke the pear, which squirms in a decidedly un-fruitlike fashion, trying to avoid your digit without really moving. Emboldened, you gently scratch at the painting again, both Terry and Megan peering over your shoulder in twisted fascination as the fruit contorts and shakes before rolling to the side with a squeal of laughter emanating from somewhere, revealing a handle from behind its place - a handle that looks perfectly three-dimensional.
"Weird," Terry mutters, and you shrug.
"Not the weirdest thing I've seen in a picture." You grab the protruding piece of wood and pull, and the picture swings open.
Whatever you are expecting to see, this is not it. Well, it's a kitchen alright, straight out of a museum painting scene, with food covering rows upon rows of dark wood tables and all manner of ingredients and spices hanging from the overhead chandeliers. The walls are alternately ovens and fireplaces or shelves bending under the weight of pots and pans both clay and metallic. There are soot-blackened stoves and porcelain sinks here and there, but none of that catches your eye. The beings that stare back at you as one hold your full attention.
The creatures are small, barely reaching your waist, with stick-thin limbs and hugely oversized heads. Their pointy ears fall over their shoulders and their eyes are nearly the size of their foreheads. Each of them is dressed in rags: flour sacks or pillow cases, or togas assembled from hand towels. And they're all still staring at you.
Your companions, however, don't appear nearly as stunned as you are, Terry brushing past you.
"What are those?" you whisper, even as one of the beings steps up to the boy, all hunched and wringing its hands.
"House elves," Megan answers, as if that should explain everything.
"House elves?" you parrot back at her.
"Servant spirits. Oh, you've never seen one. They love household chores, and with a castle this size, they must be having a field day, every day."
"Is something not to young master's satisfaction?" the house elf who stepped up to Terry asks, its voice high-pitched and nasally. You really can't tell if they're male or female, or if that even applies. Another pair approaches you and Megan, also nearly bowing over, looking up at you.
"Why do young mistresses come see elves? Is there a big mess?" the last part they ask with obvious excitement.
"No. You can get back to your duties, so long as one of you remains to answer some questions," Megan commands, and the room is filled with a disappointed sigh before the sound of cutlery in use starts up again. As she requested, one of the house elves stays with you, looking up with wide eyes and wringing the bottom of - you'll go with her - her pillowcase, the faded green scrunched in her tiny fingers.
"Can Sunny get young masters and mistresses something to eat?"
"Just some cheese," Terry offers, before reconsidering, "And a bowl of starter dough. I'll need that for later though."
"Oh! Right away, young master! But..." the elf seems torn, fidgeting in place, "Why dough? Young Master shouldn't be cooking himself, that's what we is for."
"Don't worry about it, Sunny. This young master knows what he's doing."
"Right! Of course, young master!" Sunny chirps, and disappears into the suddenly busy kitchen like an ant into a mound.
"So... these are the chefs in charge of our meals?" you feel the heat of the room starting to make you sweat.
Megan nods, "Cooking, cleaning, laundry, occasional hauling and construction repairs, if it's necessary. Really useful things, house elves."
Terry chuckles, "Sometimes I forget to not take things for granted, but really, what did you think happened to all our dirty clothes?"
"Magic?" you mumble, suddenly embarrassed for no reason. You're saved from further indignity by Sunny's running return.
"Cheese, young master!" she thrusts a serving tray loaded with every dairy product imaginable at you. The colossal pile has to be held in place by Qi alone. "Dough coming soon, Stinky Slippy being slow!"
"That's fine, Sunny," Megan leans over a bit, as if she were talking to a child, "Tell me, do you know how the pumpkin juice was made for this year's Halloween feast?"
"Sunny does!"
"Can you write the recipe down for me?"
"Sunny could, but..." the elf pulls sharply on her floppy ear, "Does young mistress want to give recipe to her own house elf?"
"No, this is just for my curiosity."
Upon hearing that, Sunny gives her a relieved smile, smoothing out her pillow case. "Then Sunny go write!" she exclaims and twirls around, only to plop herself down on the floor and snap her fingers. With a sparkle, a quill and a ream of parchment appears in front of her, and she grabs the writing implement in two hands, starting to scratch out her task.
"What does she mean by 'your own elf'?" you ask, somewhat off balance still.
"Well, I don't have one, but I'm sure some of my cousins do. They can be a bit territorial, but really, they live to please either way, so unless the Elders have specifically classified the recipe for pumpkin juice, it's fine."
"They seem a bit too smart to own."
Instead of agreeing with you, Terry makes a shushing gesture. "It's just the way they are. You'll make them really sad if you imply that you don't want their help. Like, depressed sad, and puppies have got nothing on their 'sad' eyes. My mom told me she also thought it a bit weird at first, but you get used to 'em. Just treat them like well-trained and loved dogs who can talk. It really isn't an insult for them. Here, cheese?"
With nothing better to do, you grab a piece from the proffered pile, slowly munching on the slice as the elves around you make organized chaos. In a few minutes, Sunny finishes her assignment, just as another elf runs over to Terry with a bowl of wet dough, getting a slap on the ear from your first liaison. "Slippy slow! No good! Back to dusting!"
"Dusting easy, Slippy want to sweep chimneys instead..." the elf whines, tone just as high pitched and squeaky. Sunny merely shakes her fist at him, and grabs the bowl as Slippy scampers off, presenting it and the parchment to your companions.
The three of you leave the kitchen a few minutes later, each of you gifted with another sandwich before you could extract yourselves from the hyperactive elves.
"Thanks for sharing," Megan nods at you after swallowing, "We'll make sure to get you an extra large batch of cookies. And I'm always on the lookout for more taste testers, if you're ever interested."
"Uh-uh, and I'll make sure the cookies are actually edible, not chili-and-prawn flavored. As for being a lab-rat, it's your taste buds on the line, and not all of them are winners," Terry adds.
"I'll... keep that in mind, thanks for the offer either way."
[X][Social] Tracey Davis offered to be your friend... or was it the other way around? Regardless, you wouldn't mind another lesson on immortal customs, and her straightforward manner can be refreshing.
Roll: 25
Ah, the age-old question of where one sits at lunch. With a quick exhalation of Qi, you steel your nerves and make your way over to the Slytherin table, where Tracey is sitting next to a heavy-set girl who's clearly gone through an early growth spurt.
"Sect Sister Davis, it's been a while. May I?"
"Sect Sister Young, of course. This one would be delighted," Tracey smiles back at you, her voice pitched to carry just a bit more than usual.
"And I don't believe you've met my associate - That one is known as Millicent Bulstrode; and Rei Young."
The girl sniffs and nods at you, but doesn't stand or say anything.
"A pleasure," you return the nod with one of your own and sit opposite the pair, finding the bowl of noodles you always find near wherever you end up during lunch. Surreptitiously, you catch a few pairs of eyes returning to their own conversations.
Apparently, Tracey does too, as she leans in and drops her theatrical tone for one better suited to a quiet conversation, "Don't mind her, she's the stoic and silent type. How are you doing? I saw the match, hopefully there are no hard feelings, Senior Brother Flint can sometimes get lost in the heat of the moment, but he didn't really mean to seriously injure you."
You wave her concerns away, "It's all in a day's work. Madam Pomphrey got me right back on my feet."
"I'm glad," she smiles, "So, what brings you to our neck of the woods?"
While a large part of you just wanted to pay her back for the last lesson and take her up on her offer, you do find yourself with another ulterior motive as well, your conversation with Ancestor Dumbledore still fresh on your mind.
"You mentioned discussions on immortal culture when we last parted. As it happens, I'd like your opinion on a matter, as someone who's got little interaction with the mortal side of things."
"Of course," she says, and Millicent also slows down her destruction of a bowl of oatmeal.
"Have you ever been there, for longer than a few moments?"
"To be honest, I've not been to the mundane side of things for less than a few moments either."
"Oh," you can't help the disappointment from creeping into your voice, "Then you probably wouldn't know about the Qi there, either."
Tracey, however, purses her lips. "I just might. There is a talking point called the dead world argument, is that what you wanted to discuss?"
"Maybe. I've never heard that term."
"So, muggles obviously think the world is much smaller than it really is, between pocket universes, alternate timelines and expanded space, there's maybe half again as much mystic land as there is mundane, and much of it remains empty. That should hint at what my own position on the matter is, so keep that in mind. The dead world argument states that if muggles continue to expand their influence, then eventually Qi will dwindle to nothing at their touch - a dead world, if you will."
"Is that, like, a scientific theory?" you ask, the Ravenclaw in you equal parts apprehensive and curious.
She shrugs, "The expansion of muggle influence is only a few centuries old, that's why it's an argument. Some, including Ancestor Dumbledore, believe it'll sort itself out, that either the muggles will find some ingenious way to sense Qi despite their inborn limits, or that the world itself will adapt as it always has. It's the status quo argument ever since the statute of secrecy went into effect, but it's not the majority side nowadays. If the isolationists and supremacists came together, they'd outnumber them."
"And what do they believe?" you ask between mouthfuls as Tracey takes a moment to catch her breath.
"The isolationists believe we should leave the muggles what they have and fortify our own side; to leave the mundane world behind entirely, in the extreme cases. This is largely what Lord Malfoy supports, that there's nothing we need from the muggles, so we should hem them into their place and leave them to their own issues. The supremacists... well, no one's openly a supremacist."
Millicent snorts, and Tracey elbows her.
"It's the idea that we should take the world back from the muggles, bring forth a renaissance of Qi. It was a popular position during the muggles' Great War, spearheaded by the likes of Lord Carrow, or then Lord Grindelwald. With the latter's fall to demonic cultivation, no one wants to admit to the label, but they still advocate for more 'living space'."
"That's stupid," you burst, "There's over five billion people in the world."
"And by the time we graduate from Hogwarts, a pistol shot will be less than a fly bite to us. Of course, it is stupid. There's no point to it, except for misplaced pride."
"And what do you believe in?" you finally ask.
Tracey sighs, "I hope Ancestor Dumbledore is correct, and the muggles figure it out, but from what I hear, I'm not sure I like the idea of taking that risk. You'd know better - I've never been to the mortal world, how was it really?"
"It wasn't for that long," you hedge, "I could get used to it eventually."
It's Millicent that shakes her head, "It gets worse the longer you're out there."
"Oh, have you been?"
She shrugs, "No."
"It's what people say, but I don't believe for a second that Pansy's cousins have actually tried it themselves," Tracey says with a wan smile, "And since muggleborn students still exist, the idea that you lose your own Qi is clearly just lies."
"Would you try?" Millicent shoots back, and Tracey's Qi stutters.
"Well, where would I even stay, or what would I do? I don't have the time to waste just to prove a point to people who can't be convinced anyways."
"Sure," the bigger girl grants before standing. "This one is glad to make your acquaintance, Sect Sister Young. Good fortune to you. Davis," she nods, and walks off, leaving just the two of you.
"Ancestor Dumbledore said that our connections to the people don't change. That love and wonder is the source of all Qi," you trail off. When you say it out loud, it actually sounds a bit childish.
Tracey raises an eyebrow. "Far be it from me to gainsay the Ancestors, but Bodhisattva or not, he has his own ideals that need not be mine."
A silence descends between you, as you're lost in thought, and the Slytherin stretches. "I'm afraid I've got another meeting, but this was nice. I like lording my knowledge over others, and you make for a good listener. Sit with me again, or better yet, schedule an appointment," she smirks, "There's a whole subject I could teach."
"Duly noted. Who are you meeting?" you ask out of politeness.
"Sister Greengrass and I are studying the same plant, and we believe it'll bloom soon."
The name causes you to quirk up. "Are you close with her? Has she mentioned me?"
"Uh... I could introduce the two of you, but some other time, if you're interested?"
'So that's a no,' you suppress a disappointed sigh. "We've met, briefly. I don't want to push her, but I'd still like to talk to her for real one day."
"Now you've got me curious, but I'll be discreet," she stands and gives you a shallow bow, "Good fortune, Sect Sister Young." With March drawing to a close, spring is in the air at Hogwarts. The shingles and sheets of the innumerable roofs are free of snow already, but the last grasp of winter continues to cling to the shaded courtyards. The fields are covered in a white blanket of a different kind, a mix of snowdrops and windflowers sprawling over the open grounds, and the hills are alive with the chirping of ouzels.
You know the specific species, because you chose one as a sketch subject, drawing the bird in profile with as much detail as you could manage. Then you spent a day playing around with your wand, trying to twist the Qi of the image just so. You thought you had to be close after about an hour, when the paper itself crinkled, but that turned out to be a complete dead end. By the time you realized that, you were committed, sunk cost fallacy or not. Chances are you'd still be messing with it now, if not for the point awarding ceremony. That, and the fact that last night, you got the graphite bird to turn its face towards you. The drawing was ruined immediately afterwards, grey particulate either smeared over the paper of just falling off, but you had tangible progress, now you just needed practice... and another drawing. It took you a lot of effort to get it as lifelike as you did, and losing your work still stings a bit.
"Hermione Granger!" the wispy voice of Elder Binns calls out, and you shake your head, focusing back on the present as the bushy haired girl steps up to the front for her point in History.
As you secretly expected, your own name is next, and you move next to Elder Quirrel for your progress in Defense, joined shortly by Megan striding up to a smiling Elder Sprout.
Malfoy is next in line, once more making it onto the podium with his achievements in Potions, bringing all houses to a point, each, but you suppress a victorious smile. You have it on good authority that Lisa has once again dove into charmcraft, so you expect another point for your own team.
"Lisa Turpin!" Elder Flitwick says, and you're vindicated in your belief.
Transfiguration goes to Susan, who gets the second point for Hufflepuff, before Elder Sinistra's muttered "Harry Potter" makes the tie three-way. Elder McGonagall stepping up to give Potter another two points for overall advancement however leaves the red-and-gold house victorious. If the rumor mill is to be believed - a scary prospect, given just how eerily accurate or completely off base it can be - Lord Potter has also officially finished the requirements for the year, further cementing his status as a chosen one.
Still, you don't need to make everything into a competition, and as long as you're satisfied with your own pace, what others do doesn't matter. Well, so long as you continue to stay on pace for the official exams in June, or barring that, the make-up versions in August.
The house cup is awarded by abstraction, with most of the points coming from the monthly progress ceremonies. A quidditch victory gives the winning house an additional 4 points (about a seventh of what the whole thing is supposedly worth in-story), and you as the protagonist can earn extra by rolling 90 or above in the socials or by hoarding your points until the end of the year to have them count twice (i.e. the points you spend aren't lost from the running total). The current standings are as follows.
Gryffindor - 26; Hufflepuff - 8; Ravenclaw - 22 (this includes the points you got way back in September, but not your currently remaining points, which will come into play at the end of June); Slytherin - 25.
Pick 3 to 4 training actions, you may pick the same one multiple times:
-[][Training] Spiritual cultivation
-[][Training] Physical cultivation
-[][Training] Herbology
-[][Training] Potions
--[] Which potion (see library)
-[][Training] Charms
-[][Training] Transfiguration
--[] Which technique (see library)
-[][Training] Astronomy
Not all of your time is spent on the path to enlightenment, your peers also demand some of your attention, and when you one day look back, some events would stand out:
[][Social] You've lost track of time before when meditating away from the hubbub of the common room, but this is the first time you come across a floating crate on your way back.
[][Social] Megan Jones has offered to employ you as a test subject for her confectionary experiments. A payment in sweets is acceptable for you.
[][Social] You'd laugh if someone told you you'd be interested in politics a year ago, yet here you are, once more seeking out Tracey for an enlightening discussion on modern history of the immortal kind.
[][Social] You're cornered by Hannah, who demands an exact retelling of your impromptu healing under the merciless hand of Madam Pomphrey.
[][Social] Sue and Mandy both seem to be the outdoors types, and your visit to the Forbidden Forest wasn't all that bad. Try to get your friends to be each other's friends and take a trek through the woods together.
[][Social] You've never been in a choir before, but you're not about to let that stop you from going to the audition when you find Elder Flitwick in the common room, posting a notice on the board advertising the Hogwarts Choir.
[][Social] Hurricane Chang has decided to spend an afternoon with you, and the topic of the day is obviously going to be Quidditch.
[][Social] You're invited for tea with Lavender Brown - she says it'll be a small gathering, but that it should be fun.
[][Social] It's been a while since your last adventure with Lisa, and you're feeling the itch of wanderlust.
[][Social] Hogwarts has a dueling club for Qi Condensation and up disciples. You can't participate, but surely Elder Flitwick won't mind if you just come as an audience member.
[][Social] Write-in
Optional point expenditure (you have 1 point).
-[][Points] Write-in
By popular demand, please keep the training actions and the boon choice under a plan, and the social options separate. Vote for as many socials as you want, the top 3(4) will win, depending on how many training actions the top plan has. As for points, include how many points you want to spend in a plan, and I'll find a way to make use of them.
[*] Example plan
-[*][Training] Potions 2x
--[*] Potion Z
-[*][Training] Astronomy 2x
-[*][Points] 0
[*][Social] Social 1
[*][Social] Social 2
[*][Social] Social 3
[*][Social] Social 4
[*][Social] Social 5
I've only glanced at the training rolls, but given that we're close to maxing out both Spiritual and Physical cultivation @Karf can we make conditional training plans this turn?
E.g. [ ] Plan Training for Victory
- [ ] Physical Cultivation X4
- [ ] If Physical Cultivation is maxed the remaining actions go to Spiritual Cultivation
- [ ] If Spiritual Cultivation is maxed the remaining actions go to Transfiguration
[][Plan] Double Breakthrough
-[][Boon] A polished shard of a mirror
-[][Training] Spiritual cultivation
-[][Training] Physical cultivation (x3)
Having literally every skill be a milestone higher should be enough to offset any bad rolls. 1 more die in each pool, +10 to each training die, d21 rolls with a threshold of 11 for physical and 14 for spiritual.
I've only glanced at the training rolls, but given that we're close to maxing out both Spiritual and Physical cultivation @Karf can we make conditional training plans this turn?
E.g. [ ] Plan Training for Victory
- [ ] Physical Cultivation X4
- [ ] If Physical Cultivation is maxed the remaining actions go to Spiritual Cultivation
- [ ] If Spiritual Cultivation is maxed the remaining actions go to Transfiguration
I completely get that you don't want to be drawn into endless conditional lists but just to clarify I'm not asking for conditionals where we hit a milestone but for where we literally max out a skill and can't go further without a breakthrough. This is an occasion that's likely to occur once, maybe twice an in game year.
It just feels weird that if we plan for 2x Physical and we hit the max in one action our character would just decide to take a week off when there's a deadline that we're now dangerously close to missing.
