School of Sorcery

[Chandagnac]

Spoiler: Notes

I just finished reading Sorry Your Time Traveling Priviledges Have Been Revoked. Can confirm, it is a masterpiece, everyone here who hasn't read it already should do so.

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Thank you. I'm pleased that you enjoyed it.

Wish a couple more characters had gotten epilogues though... Glitch in particular, what he did after the story seemed especially uncertain, at least for a major character like him.

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I may still go back and write a few more epilogues. I especially want to write one for Glitch: I want to call it 'A Glitch in Time', but I can't think of a storyline for it.

Oh, and I think Dr. Szechhh's fate, while slightly implied, was only explicitly stated briefly in one non-threadmarked post that I happened to read through sheer luck, so... that could have been done better.

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Also, I kinda want to write an epilogue for Dr. Szechhh in which he managed to teleport away from the Doomsmen's stricken spaceship at the last second...

*

The Girl in the Mirror (Part Five)​

On the other side of the portal, the woman is still deliberating: she seems very unsure of what to do next.

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You try to create another illusory message, using the same words as last time, but before you can complete it, the woman in the mirror conjures an illusory message of her own: the words floating in the air next to her head say, "Hello, I'm Elys. Who are you?"

"Elys. Isn't that a Quellonian name?" says Phil, putting on a slight frown.

"One of their greatest heroes was a lady knight named 'Sir Elyssar'," says Venta with a nod.

"Well, considering that the Sambian Empire's history with Quellonia mostly consists of pitched battles and attempts at conquest, let's hope that she doesn't want to fight us when she finds out where we're from," says Phil.

After several moments, you finally manage to complete the ritual to create an illusion displaying the words "Hello, we found a mirror and can see you." You decided to leave off the second part of the message – which would have asked her "Who are you?" – because she has already introduced herself.

"Would you like me to take over?" asks Venta, who is not-entirely-successfully concealing her irritation at how long it has taken you to put together a simple illusion.

You nod, knowing that she has a natural talent for illusions and could carry on this peculiar conversation much quicker than you can. "Please."

"Very well," says Venta. Her eyes half-closed in an expression of concentration, she sketches words in the air with her fingers. They say, "We are being chased by older students out for blood. We're trying to escape. Can we come through the portal?"

The woman on the other side of the portal looks a little panicked by the suggestion. She quickly writes a reply in hovering letters: "I don't think that's advisable. If someone closed the portal, you could be trapped here."

"Has someone trapped her there?" asks Isolia, sounding fearful. "Is she actually a monster that they had to… uh, that they couldn't kill, so they were forced to trap her inside the mirror?"

"What an imagination you have!" Philander compliments her. "But… well, I suppose it's a possibility."

"What if she's just a wizard who got trapped inside the portal by accident?" you suggest.

"That's another possibility," Phil agrees. "We shouldn't just assume that she's a predatory monster who would rip us limb from limb if we invited her out of the mirror. Even if she could be."

Venta uses illusory writing to ask the question: "Are you trapped?"

The reply is: "Possibly. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure: I've only just arrived here."

"You're not some kind of mirror goddess?" asks Venta, looking deflated, as if her expectations have just been dashed.

On the other side of the mirror, the woman puts on an exaggerated pantomime of laughing at Venta's last message. "I'm as human as you are," she says, with a radiant smile.

"That's a misleading answer if I ever saw one," Philander scoffs. "You're a goblin: there are many who'd consider you not human at all!"

Venta looks conflicted at that, as if she's unsure of whether she should be offended or not. After a moment's consideration, she accepts it without comment.

"So… you think she's not human?" you ask warily.

"Well, she looks human enough." Philander shrugs. "But looks can be deceiving."

"Is she only pretending to be human, is she part-human, or did her answer only seem misleading?" asks Isolia.

"That is the question," you say. "Whatever she is, she must be a powerful mage: she can create illusions more quickly and easily than any of us."

"She's probably a fifth-year pupil, or the equivalent," Venta agrees.

"Perhaps she'll agree to help us; perhaps she'll turn out to be a monster who wants to eat us," says Philander, summing up your hopes and fears.

On the other side of the portal, the woman conjures another message for you to see. It says, "I can help you. I can heal your injuries. I can save you from the bullies who have been chasing you."

"What would you want in exchange?" you ask.

A few moments later, Venta repeats your question in text form.

"Just let me come through the portal," is the reply. "I don't want to cut myself on the sharp edges."

"What do you think we should do?" asks Philander. "Trust her? Or not?"

What will you do? (Choose one)
[] Accept her offer.

[] Accept her offer of help against the bullies, but refuse the offer of magical healing. (After seeing how your father has become increasingly resistant to magical healing, you'd prefer to save it for real emergencies.)

[] Run away, find somewhere else to hide.
-[] Hope that when the 'woman' comes through the portal she will attack the bullies and not you.

[] Do something else (write in).

 

[Tascion]

[X] Accept her offer.
-[X] "We won't try to stop you coming through the portal on the condition that you don't harm us or our interests."

The latter isn't necessary, given metagaming, but it feels a bit appropriate.

 

[Indivisible]

[X] Accept her offer.
-[X] "We won't try to stop you coming through the portal on the condition that you don't harm us or our interests."

 

[Nevill]

[x] Accept her offer.
-[x] "We won't try to stop you coming through the portal on the condition that you don't harm us or our interests."

This has the benefit of sounding in control while also completely out of our ability to enforce. She can only harm our interests once she comes through, after which we can no longer stop her from coming out of the portal.

 

[unmatchingsocks]

[x] Accept her offer.
-[x] "We won't try to stop you coming through the portal on the condition that you don't harm us or our interests."

 

[Flashkannon]

[x] Accept her offer.
-[x] "We won't try to stop you coming through the portal on the condition that you don't harm us or our interests."


Oh Venta, what would we do without you? I do rather like the rationale here, but I feel the strong urge to summon a teacher.

"You're not some kind of mirror goddess?" asks Venta, looking deflated, as if her expectations have just been dashed.

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Everything I had hoped for, heheh.

On the other side of the portal, the woman conjures another message for you to see. It says, "I can help you. I can heal your injuries. I can save you from the bullies who have been chasing you."

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In retrospect this is an extremely suspicious set of statements. This is exactly the sort of thing a fae that means you harm would say to slip into your house as an invited guest.

 

[Flashkannon]

Does this mean we're at the end of this quest, since Elys has escaped her confinement?

 

[Chandagnac]

Spoiler: Notes

Does this mean we're at the end of this quest, since Elys has escaped her confinement?

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Not quite. I want this quest to come to some sort of conclusion, even if the majority of its ongoing plot threads will be continued in Chosen by the Dragon God.

*

The Girl in the Mirror (Part Six)​

"What would you want in exchange?" you ask.

A few moments later, Venta repeats your question in text form.

"Just let me come through the portal," is the reply. "I don't want to cut myself on the sharp edges."

"What do you think we should do?" asks Philander. "Trust her? Or not?"

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"What other choice do we have? She doesn't seem to need our permission to come through the portal, just an assurance that we won't try to kill her," says Venta, looking utterly helpless and defeated. Seeing her like that, you want to give her a hug and tell her that everything will be all right.

"We could run away again," Isolia suggests, although the dispirited note in her voice suggests that the prospect doesn't appeal to her.

"Straight into the arms of those bullies who want to drain my blood? No thanks." Venta shakes her head. "I say we trust her, up to a point."

"And what point would that be?" asks Philander, heaving a weary sigh.

"Well, if she comes through the portal and immediately tries to attack us, we should flee, obviously," says Venta, with a small shrug.

You gaze through the portal, studying the woman on the other side, looking for any clues as to her intent or capabilities. "All right, we'll accept her offer," you say. "Tell her that we won't stop her from coming through the portal if she doesn't do anything to harm us or our interests."

Venta immediately sets about turning what you just said into a written message: "We won't try to stop you coming through the portal on the condition that you don't harm us or our interests."

"I accept your terms," the woman replies, as soon as she's finished reading your illusory message. She conjures her own illusions so quickly that it hardly seems to require any effort from her at all. "I will come through the portal now. Please take a step back and give me space to do so."

You and your friends glance at each other, but if any of you were having second thoughts, it's too late to change your minds now.

The mysterious woman steps through the portal, while being very cautious and staying as far away from its sharp outer edges as possible. She doesn't then turn into a monster and try to eat you. Instead, she takes a several deep breaths and then glances around at the gloomy storeroom, smiling broadly, as if she has rarely seen such a wonderful sight.

Philander sidles up to her. "So… Elys, is it? Are you Quellonian?"

"I was born on a tiny island you've probably never heard of, which is currently ruled over by the Aspiti Empire," she replies. "But yes, I'm of Queli stock."

"That's cool, I guess." You can see him trying out different poses, trying to look charming and roguish. "So… how do you feel about Sambians?"

Her eyes widen and she asks, excitedly, "Are we in the Sambian Empire? Well, unless you do anything to hurt me – or any of my friends and family – I have nothing against you."

"I could say the same," he says. "My name's Philander Bidwell, at least temporarily. Pleased to meet you."

"Your name is 'Philander'?" she asks, shaking the hand he offers to her. "Did your parents give you that name? And what do you mean 'at least temporarily'."

He grimaces. "Well, my father did. Um… it's a long story."

You and the other members of Cadre 1F come forward, shake her hand, and introduce yourselves one by one.

"I'm Dorian Valens," you tell her.

She smiles pleasantly back at you.

Venta has a hopeful look on her face. She definitely wants to believe that Elys can save her from the bullies who want to drain her blood. "I'm Venta," she says.

Isolia looks rather shy as she introduces herself. You half-expect Philander to start teasing her about it. "And I'm Isolia," she adds.

"I'm pleased to meet you all. Thank you for letting me out of the mirror. I'm not entirely sure what happened there, but…" Elys pauses and gives an expansive shrug. "I'm glad I was able to escape quickly." Her smile brightens. "Now, I believe that the four of you are in a spot of bother, is that right? And you want my help?" She glances at you. "First off, I could fix your broken nose, if you like."

You had almost forgotten that until she mentioned it. Now, the pain comes back to you in full force: an agonizing throbbing sensation. Still, remembering your father and how his illness has become increasingly untreatable because, over a number of years, he has developed a resistance to healing magic, you find the strength to refuse. "With magic? I'd rather not. It'll heal naturally, right?"

She considers for a moment. "Probably. Does it hurt very much."

"Not really. I mean, it hurts, but I can ignore it," you tell her, trying to be brave like your father is.

"Well, if you're sure," she says, giving you a sympathetic look.

There is a loud crash as the storeroom door bursts open and rebounds off the adjoining wall. Your four tormentors enter the room. Their apparent leader, the dandified young man dressed in expensive and bloodstained silks, cries out in triumph, "Got you, you pestilential brats!" Then, he sees Elys, blinks, and seems to regret his earlier choice of words. "And who might you be?" he asks, hastily trying to make himself look more presentable by straightening his shirt and slicking back his hair with a gobbet of spittle.

"Hi, I'm Elys. Pleased to meet you," she says, looking angelically sweet and innocent. "What's your name?"

"I am Yulian Sagittarus, son of the richest and most powerful man in this city," the dandy replies, looking as if he expects her to swoon at the mention of his name. When she shows no sign of reacting, he remembers what he came here for: "Kindly step aside and allow us to punish those four brats as they deserve!"

"Punish them for what?" asks Elys.

Indicating the oozing wound in his side, Yulian then points at Philander and says, "He stabbed me!" Then, pointing his accusatory finger at you instead, he yells, "And he threw a dead owl at me!"

You emit an involuntary gasp of horror when you hear that. Archironaeus was a decrepit old thing, but he was good to you. He helped you. And now he's dead…?

"But why did they attack you?" asks Elys, sounding as if she honestly wants to know.

Yulian hesitates, puts on an approximation of a charming smile, and says, "Well, what else do you expect of the lower classes, my dear lady? Absolute savages, every one of them."

"Enough of this," the pockmarked young man next to him growls. "Stop bandying words with her. She's an outsider: she's not even supposed to be here!"

"You're a long way from home, little girl," says the pale, dark-haired woman who is the only female member of their group. "Are you lost?"

"'Little girl'? She looks like she's our age, at least," says Yulian, with a snort of derisive laughter.

"No, she's only eleven. Lost and all alone, in a strange place, hundreds of miles from home," his female teammate replies, after a moment's hesitation in which she appeared to be staring into space.

"She's only eleven?" Philander mutters, having raised both of his eyebrows as far as they will go. "Hey, Isolia, you might actually have a chance with her! In a few years' time, maybe."

"Stop it!" Isolia snarls at him.

At the same time, one of the older students said something to Yulian that you didn't quite catch, though he looks very humiliated by it. "Don't be disgusting!" the stocky, silk-wearing young man shouts indignantly, glaring at Elys as if he blames her for whatever was just said. "I'm not like that."

"It's nice to hear that you have some standards. I'm sure Venta is delighted to know that you only intend to kidnap her and drain her blood, not anything worse than that," says Philander with a snigger. "Really, since you are such perfect paragons of morality, I can't think why we ever objected to your–"

"Don't you ever shut up?!" the rough-looking young man yells at him.

"If my words weren't having any effect on you, maybe I would. But, since it's getting on your nerves, I'm gonna keep talking," says Phil.

The pale woman hurls a shard of ice at him, which shatters against… uh, you're not sure. It's as if there's an invisible wall in front of him, protecting him, but… how?

"Oh? You want to fight?" asks Elys, sounding mildly curious. "Very well, then."

She raises a hand in a seemingly casual gesture that causes Yulian to topple over, moaning and spraying vomit all over himself. Grimacing, his teammates manage to resist her magic: the rough-looking young man attacks her with a telekinetic fist, which she dodges, while the pale twins work together to cast… some kind of summoning spell. Or possibly an illusion.

In the shadows, you see monstrous shapes: demonic-looking creatures with red eyes, sharp claws and teeth, huge black wings and dozens of tentacles. They're all around you…

What will you do? (Choose one)
[] Work together with the rest of Cadre 1F to dispel the illusion.
-[] Yeah, the monsters in the shadows are just an illusion!

[] Attempt to fight off the creatures in the shadows, trusting that Elys can defeat the bullies on her own.

[] Attempt to distract the bullies at a critical moment, making it easier for Elys to defeat them.

[] Use your Telekinetic Push cantrip to push one of the bullies into the shadows, where the monsters are.

[] Attempt to sneak closer and take Yulian hostage while he is barely conscious and lying on the floor.

[] Summon an Arcane Servant.
-[] Instruct it to grab Yulian and take him hostage.

[] Do something else (write in).

 

[Nevill]

"Don't you ever shut up?!" the rough-looking young man yells at him.

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No.

I feel you, man, he is this way with us too.

[x] Attempt to sneak closer and take Yulian hostage while he is barely conscious and lying on the floor.

One is down for the count, two are casting their spells; that leaves only one against four to work with. Between Dorian's quickness and Philander's knife we stand a good chance of muscling our way through to the body.

Will it stop the rest of them, though? The guy sounds like a leader, but the power in the group seems to lie with the twins... or perhaps a demon whispering suggestions to them. Still, if they ignore the hostage it would hurt the group cohesion and may turn them on each other.

 

[Indivisible]

[X] Attempt to distract the bullies at a critical moment, making it easier for Elys to defeat them.

Looking at Cadre 1F's character sheets, I think that this is the best bet. Besides, we don't want to get in the way of the inevitable Dragonbreath.

 

[x_lksk]

[X] Use your Telekinetic Push cantrip to push one of the bullies into the shadows, where the monsters are.

Specifically, one of the twins, since they're the ones making these.

Maybe it's just an illusion and they'll be okay. Or maybe these are real summoned demons, who will tear the bully apart. This seems like the best way to find out which! Whatever this is, they were planning to use it on us, and will presumably use it on other people in the future if they can. If it really is as dangerous as it seems, getting them with their own screwed up and irresponsibly used spell strikes me as the sort of thing where, even in a place like Sambia very few people would blame you for it; either they'd be willing to understand it as self defense, or they'd look down on the bully for their incompetence at letting something like this happen.

Yeah, at this point, I have lost any compassion at all four these four "bullies". They're dangerous and evil and devoid of any apparent redeeming qualities now, and when (if) they grow up they'll be full on villains who hurt, kill, or oppress hundreds if they get the chance.

 

[ziizo]

[X] Attempt to distract the bullies at a critical moment, making it easier for Elys to defeat them.

 

[Tascion]

[X] Attempt to distract the bullies at a critical moment, making it easier for Elys to defeat them.

Elys is proving herself more capable in combat than the combined efforts of cadre 1F. Pride and growth can come later. For now, I think the smart choice is assistance.

 

[Zam]

[X] Use your Telekinetic Push cantrip to push one of the bullies into the shadows, where the monsters are.

 

[prof_Chemical]

[X] Use your Telekinetic Push cantrip to push one of the bullies into the shadows, where the monsters are.

Specifically, one of the twins, since they're the ones making these.

Maybe it's just an illusion and they'll be okay. Or maybe these are real summoned demons, who will tear the bully apart. This seems like the best way to find out which! Whatever this is, they were planning to use it on us, and will presumably use it on other people in the future if they can. If it really is as dangerous as it seems, getting them with their own screwed up and irresponsibly used spell strikes me as the sort of thing where, even in a place like Sambia very few people would blame you for it; either they'd be willing to understand it as self defense, or they'd look down on the bully for their incompetence at letting something like this happen.

Yeah, at this point, I have lost any compassion at all four these four "bullies". They're dangerous and evil and devoid of any apparent redeeming qualities now, and when (if) they grow up they'll be full on villains who hurt, kill, or oppress hundreds if they get the chance.

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of what ive seen of sambia and its wizard school so far, i bet wed get in more trouble for getting caught doing it than the actual act of terminating these kids... so leave no trace, 😏 dragon breathe and vow of secrecy

 

[Flashkannon]

[x] Work together with the rest of Cadre 1F to dispel the illusion.
-[x] Yeah, the monsters in the shadows are just an illusion!

Does the invisible forcefield block line of effect, though?

I am enjoying the subtle differences between what Dorian notices and what Elys notices, though, it makes this dual quest system very rewarding.

 

[Chandagnac]

Spoiler: Notes

Does the invisible forcefield block line of effect, though?

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Nah, it's one-directional. You can shoot out, but other people can't shoot in.

I am enjoying the subtle differences between what Dorian notices and what Elys notices, though, it makes this dual quest system very rewarding.

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I'm pleased you're enjoying it. Because it takes quite a lot of extra time and effort, I won't keep it going for much longer. Just until the end of the current storyline.

*

The Girl in the Mirror (Part Seven)​

"Oh? You want to fight?" asks Elys, sounding mildly curious. "Very well, then."

She raises a hand in a seemingly casual gesture that causes Yulian to topple over, moaning and spraying vomit all over himself. Grimacing, his teammates manage to resist her magic: the rough-looking young man attacks her with a telekinetic fist, which she dodges, while the pale twins work together to cast… some kind of summoning spell. Or possibly an illusion.

In the shadows, you see monstrous shapes: demonic-looking creatures with red eyes, sharp claws and teeth, huge black wings and dozens of tentacles. They're all around you…

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Elys doesn't hesitate when she sees the gathering army of shadow monsters: using her telekinetic powers, she picks up the pale, dark-haired woman and tosses her into the largest clump of fanged and tentacular shapes, causing her to scream in terror. Hastily, her twin brother ends the spell, causing the illusion to fade away instantly… Or was it an illusion? Why did she scream if it was only an illusion?

The pale, dark-haired young man helps his sister up off the floor and embraces her. For a moment, it looks as if he's about to kiss her on the lips. Yuck!

The rough-looking young man prepares to strike again, mustering his magical powers, taking careful aim, and waiting until Elys is distracted. While she's looking worriedly at the twins, he sees his chance. That's when you hit him with a Telekinetic Push cantrip, distracting him and knocking him into the wall. He seems to lose his nerve after that.

"Wait," he says, seeing that one of his friends is unconscious and the others have stopped fighting. He holds up his hands, almost-but-not-quite making a gesture of surrender. "We'll leave, how about that? We've learnt our lesson: we'll never bother you or your little friends again, honest!"

"Are you surrendering?" asks Elys, frowning at him.

"I'm saying I don't want to fight you anymore. If you insist on fighting us, I'll fight – maybe I won't win, but I can at least make things difficult for you – but I'd much rather take my friends and walk away," he says. There is a note of desperation in his voice. "No harm, no foul, eh?"

"You hurt me." Isolia scowls at him.

He shrugs. "At least I didn't stab you. I think you and your friends got the better end of the deal, in that particular exchange."

"You wanted to steal my blood!" Venta cries.

"But we failed," says the rough-looking young man, as if what he's saying should be enough to convince you. "And we'll never try again. Like I said, we've learnt our lesson."

"And what lesson would that be?" asks Philander, raising an eyebrow. "Make sure that you only pick on the most vulnerable targets?"

"We thought you were extremely vulnerable: stupid little firsties who'd wandered into an abandoned part of the school where just about anything could be waiting for them." Shaking his head, the pockmarked youth mutters, "Huh, you sure proved us wrong."

The fight is over, at least for now. It's clear that Elys was the victor. The four older students who were planning to drain Venta's blood to use in a dark ritual have been defeated: Yulian is unconscious and lying in a puddle of vomit, the twins are trying to comfort each other, and their rough-looking friend is trying to negotiate peace terms.

Elys glances at you and your friends: she seems unsure of what to do next. Should she let your four tormentors go, trusting that they have 'learnt their lesson' as promised? Or should she press her advantage: either by imposing some form of penance, or by continuing the fight until all four of the bullies are beaten, bloodied, and lying unconscious on the storeroom floor?

What will you do? (Choose one)
[] Say something to Elys. (Write in: what do you want to say to her?)

[] Kick Yulian while he's down.
-[] Kick him in the crotch a few times.

[] Demand some kind of guarantee that Yulian and his gang will never bother you again. (Write in: any ideas as to what it could be?)

[] Demand to know the names of the rough-looking young man and the twins, so you can tell a teacher what they've done.

[] Do something else (write in).

 

[Tascion]

[X] Do something else (write in).
-[X] let the bullies go. Then take Elys to greenflame.

I'm not sure I want to bring Elys to the attention of the teachers just yet, but greenflame is a good passive authority figure.

Also, I doubt we need all the names of the bullies if we want to report them. Even in a school of thousands, just taking their descriptions to the teachers would be enough.

 

[prof_Chemical]

what if we escort the bullies to greenflame? but the question is then what? greenflame cant do things worthwhile to protect her charges unless its offbooks, which is why she gave that speech on avoiding abuse from teachers and why we had to surrender philanders sisters back to his dad.

edit: i think we want to find out why they wanted venta's blood. then go from there

 

[Tascion]

i think we want to find out why they wanted venta's blood. then go from there

Click to shrink...

I guess I just don't care about the bullies. It's a good reminder that this school is basically Lord of the Flies, but I don't feel an urge to divide up narrative time between Elys and their potential storyline.

 

[prof_Chemical]

maladjusted, sociopathic, upperclass private school kids with magic is a worrying prospect. the more of them that can be set straight, the better. i knew they all sucked, buy i hadnt thought about it specifically like that before. and a decent chunk of them join the millitary. as if the millitary wasnt going to be grimn enough already. entitled soldiers are responsible for many an attrocity irl.

 

[x_lksk]

Generally just, interrogate the "bullies" for information a bit, while Elys watches them. Questions like:
"What are your names?"
"Why did you want Venta's blood?"
"What was that thing the twins just did?"
"What happened to the owl we threw at them?"
"How can we be sure you won't try this again, on us or someone else?"

After that, maybe blast 'em anyway depending on their answers if they are sufficiently awful, but more likely, just perp walk them to Green Flame, or even some other authority figure. I suspect that while half of the teachers (most notably, Prentigold) wouldn't care that they just tried to mug younger students for their blood, they would care that they failed. Humiliatingly. Which will also lower their status among their peers and anyone they know outside the school. So, whatever we do, don't just let them go pretend this never happened. Make the fact that they got their asses kicked by younger students known (Elys's presence and involvement can be glossed over if we're careful).

 

[ziizo]

[X] Do something else (write in).
-[X] Ask what happened to Archironaeus (The owl).
--[X] Ask why they wanted Venta blood.
---[X] let the bullies go. Then take Elys to greenflame.

 

[Indivisible]

[X] Do something else (write in).
-[X] Ask what happened to Archironaeus (The owl).
--[X] Ask why they wanted Venta blood.

 

[prof_Chemical]

[X] x_lksk