Take the role of the first undeniably unqualified Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Hope to crash and burn in style.
Unlicensed Driver (Hogwarts Headmaster Quest)
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Introduction
ALBUS DUMBLEDORE DEAD
By Scrivious Skoggins
Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and holder of many other august positions, is reported to have died under exceedingly unusual circumstances in the earliest hours of this very day. While the Aurors have yet to provide any details of their investigation into his passing, we at the Prophet have exclusive accounts from those who witnessed this tragedy.
"It was like nothing I'd ever seen." A shell-shocked Ambrosius Flume told our reporters. "We were having a little get-together -- me, Albus, a few friends -- but when he popped that Fizzing Whizzbee into his mouth, he just --!"
Dumbledore's sudden and untimely demise will doubtless stun many others in Magical Britain. He is remembered by most for his exemplary deeds during both the Global Wizarding War and the British Wizarding War -- in particular his defeat of Gellert Grindelwald, for which Dumbledore was awarded an Order of Merlin, First Class -- yet many others will recall him as an educator first and foremost.
An emergency session of the Wizengamot is likely to be called to determine who shall fill Albus Dumbledore's many former roles.
As the situation develops, you will be certain to find the most up-to-date details in The Daily Prophet, and analysis of the ramifications of Dumbledore's expiration by our top commentators.
- The Evening Prophet, July 03 1991
Thank you for accepting the position of Headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Before your tenure begins, the castle should get to know you a little. To that end, please answer the following questions:
You have been placed on the selections committee for an athletic competition. Your role is to choose who will and will not participate. One of your applicants is significantly taller than the others, giving them an unfair advantage, yet they are earnestly enthusiastic about showing their stuff, with no indication of malice. Do you exclude them?
[] Yes {+1 R, +1 G}
[X] No {+1 S, +1 H}
You and an unknown individual have been picked up by the police in a foreign country. By their byzantine laws, you will each be imprisoned for a variable duration based on whether or not you accuse each other of wrongdoing. If neither of you accuse the other, you will be jailed for the following year. If you both accuse each other, you will each receive a three year sentence. If one accuses the other, they will do no time and the accused will serve five years behind bars. What do you say?
[] Rat them out. {+1 R, +1 S}
[X] Keep quiet. {+1 G, +1 H}
You are carrying your lunch to a favored picnicking spot when a gang of hooligans waylays you. They demand your sandwiches. What do you do?
[] Give them your food {+1 S}
[X] Run for it {+1 H}
[] Yell for help {+1 R}
[] Square up {+1 G}
Beyond being a teaching institution, what does Hogwarts most represent to you?
[] Legacy, building upon the work of previous generations.
[] Stability, a lighthouse shining in the storm.
[X] Innovation, a place where new ideas can thrive.
[] Mystery, a gateway to unknown lands.
Welcome to Unlicensed Driver. You will be playing as a person thrust unceremoniously into a role you are wildly unprepared for due to reasons beyond your control. It will be your role to shape the resulting situation as you see fit.
In Unlicensed Driver, there will be four primary attributes for every character. These are Gumption, Heartiness, Reasoning, and Subtlety. A perfectly average human would have 5 points in each attribute. An apex human would have 9 points in each. A dead human would have 0 in at least one.
Gumption is the attribute representing your charisma and will. It is responsible for determining your maximum Willpower and how effective you are at keeping the attention of others. Willpower is expended to enhance actions and recovered through rest and recreation.
Heartiness is the attribute representing your physical abilities. It is responsible for determining your maximum Endurance and the number of actions you can personally attend to in an administrative turn. Endurance is expended when you suffer any significant physical injury, whether in combat or otherwise, and recovered in the ways you'd expect.
Reasoning is the attribute representing your ability to learn, recall, and manipulate information. It is responsible for determining how good you are at teaching others, how effective you are at deduction, and how quickly you pick up or improve spells and techniques.
Subtlety is the attribute representing your ability to acquire and conceal things, or to notice things others have concealed. It is responsible for determining how easy it is to find resources and notifying you of potential issues before they fully develop.
Naturally, each attribute may have applications outside of those listed here, but this should give you a decent idea of what they are capable of.
For context, just before his death Albus Dumbledore had G8 H6 R7 S7.
Regarding the quiz, in addition to the listed stat increases your answers will determine your Temperament. Temperament is a general sense of who your character is and how they'll behave. Don't worry about it too much, as you'll be able to better define yourself over time. Temperament also determines what sort of wand and magic will react most readily to you, but will not prevent you from using others.
You start with 4 points in each stat. I hope you enjoy this story.
By Scrivious Skoggins
Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and holder of many other august positions, is reported to have died under exceedingly unusual circumstances in the earliest hours of this very day. While the Aurors have yet to provide any details of their investigation into his passing, we at the Prophet have exclusive accounts from those who witnessed this tragedy.
"It was like nothing I'd ever seen." A shell-shocked Ambrosius Flume told our reporters. "We were having a little get-together -- me, Albus, a few friends -- but when he popped that Fizzing Whizzbee into his mouth, he just --!"
Dumbledore's sudden and untimely demise will doubtless stun many others in Magical Britain. He is remembered by most for his exemplary deeds during both the Global Wizarding War and the British Wizarding War -- in particular his defeat of Gellert Grindelwald, for which Dumbledore was awarded an Order of Merlin, First Class -- yet many others will recall him as an educator first and foremost.
An emergency session of the Wizengamot is likely to be called to determine who shall fill Albus Dumbledore's many former roles.
As the situation develops, you will be certain to find the most up-to-date details in The Daily Prophet, and analysis of the ramifications of Dumbledore's expiration by our top commentators.
- The Evening Prophet, July 03 1991
Thank you for accepting the position of Headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Before your tenure begins, the castle should get to know you a little. To that end, please answer the following questions:
You have been placed on the selections committee for an athletic competition. Your role is to choose who will and will not participate. One of your applicants is significantly taller than the others, giving them an unfair advantage, yet they are earnestly enthusiastic about showing their stuff, with no indication of malice. Do you exclude them?
[] Yes {+1 R, +1 G}
[X] No {+1 S, +1 H}
You and an unknown individual have been picked up by the police in a foreign country. By their byzantine laws, you will each be imprisoned for a variable duration based on whether or not you accuse each other of wrongdoing. If neither of you accuse the other, you will be jailed for the following year. If you both accuse each other, you will each receive a three year sentence. If one accuses the other, they will do no time and the accused will serve five years behind bars. What do you say?
[] Rat them out. {+1 R, +1 S}
[X] Keep quiet. {+1 G, +1 H}
You are carrying your lunch to a favored picnicking spot when a gang of hooligans waylays you. They demand your sandwiches. What do you do?
[] Give them your food {+1 S}
[X] Run for it {+1 H}
[] Yell for help {+1 R}
[] Square up {+1 G}
Beyond being a teaching institution, what does Hogwarts most represent to you?
[] Legacy, building upon the work of previous generations.
[] Stability, a lighthouse shining in the storm.
[X] Innovation, a place where new ideas can thrive.
[] Mystery, a gateway to unknown lands.
Welcome to Unlicensed Driver. You will be playing as a person thrust unceremoniously into a role you are wildly unprepared for due to reasons beyond your control. It will be your role to shape the resulting situation as you see fit.
In Unlicensed Driver, there will be four primary attributes for every character. These are Gumption, Heartiness, Reasoning, and Subtlety. A perfectly average human would have 5 points in each attribute. An apex human would have 9 points in each. A dead human would have 0 in at least one.
Gumption is the attribute representing your charisma and will. It is responsible for determining your maximum Willpower and how effective you are at keeping the attention of others. Willpower is expended to enhance actions and recovered through rest and recreation.
Heartiness is the attribute representing your physical abilities. It is responsible for determining your maximum Endurance and the number of actions you can personally attend to in an administrative turn. Endurance is expended when you suffer any significant physical injury, whether in combat or otherwise, and recovered in the ways you'd expect.
Reasoning is the attribute representing your ability to learn, recall, and manipulate information. It is responsible for determining how good you are at teaching others, how effective you are at deduction, and how quickly you pick up or improve spells and techniques.
Subtlety is the attribute representing your ability to acquire and conceal things, or to notice things others have concealed. It is responsible for determining how easy it is to find resources and notifying you of potential issues before they fully develop.
Naturally, each attribute may have applications outside of those listed here, but this should give you a decent idea of what they are capable of.
For context, just before his death Albus Dumbledore had G8 H6 R7 S7.
Regarding the quiz, in addition to the listed stat increases your answers will determine your Temperament. Temperament is a general sense of who your character is and how they'll behave. Don't worry about it too much, as you'll be able to better define yourself over time. Temperament also determines what sort of wand and magic will react most readily to you, but will not prevent you from using others.
You start with 4 points in each stat. I hope you enjoy this story.
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Character Sheet
???
Temperament: Compassionate Tinkerer
Endurance: 6/6
Willpower: 5/5
Primary Attributes
Gumption: 5
Heartiness: 7
Reasoning: 4
Subtlety: 5
Temperament: Compassionate Tinkerer
Endurance: 6/6
Willpower: 5/5
Primary Attributes
Gumption: 5
Heartiness: 7
Reasoning: 4
Subtlety: 5
- Traits
- Spells
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Hogwarts Status
- Structure
- Staff
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Encyclopedia
- Spells
- Beings
- Beasts
- Rules
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Vote Closure and Elaboration
Vote's closed. Plan "All the Heartiness" and Innovation win. Here's a breakdown with some extra details:
Fairness (Utility vs Equality)
Yes 8 - Prioritizes utility {RG}
[X] No 10 - Prioritizes equality {SH}
Prisoner's Dilemma (How do you see people)
Rat 1 - Prioritizes self, confident in logic {RS}
[X] Quiet 17 - Values others highly, confident in trust {GH}
Luncheon Crisis (How do you handle direct conflict, especially overwhelming odds)
Give 4 - Patience, placation {S}
[X] Run 9 - Escape, avoidance {H}
Yell 0 - Rely on others {R}
Fight 5 - Face things head on regardless of difficulty {G}
Hogwarts is... (What you personally value, effects to be revealed later)
Legacy 4
Stability 4
[X] Innovation 5
Mystery 4
You prioritize equality over utility, value others highly, and look to escape when faced with an overwhelming threat. You consider Hogwarts a place of innovation.
For now, your Temperament is "Compassionate Tinkerer". Not especially bright and somewhat naive, but caring, industrious and creative. Character sheet updated with basic information. It may be a few days before the prologue starts.
Fairness (Utility vs Equality)
Yes 8 - Prioritizes utility {RG}
[X] No 10 - Prioritizes equality {SH}
Prisoner's Dilemma (How do you see people)
Rat 1 - Prioritizes self, confident in logic {RS}
[X] Quiet 17 - Values others highly, confident in trust {GH}
Luncheon Crisis (How do you handle direct conflict, especially overwhelming odds)
Give 4 - Patience, placation {S}
[X] Run 9 - Escape, avoidance {H}
Yell 0 - Rely on others {R}
Fight 5 - Face things head on regardless of difficulty {G}
Hogwarts is... (What you personally value, effects to be revealed later)
Legacy 4
Stability 4
[X] Innovation 5
Mystery 4
You prioritize equality over utility, value others highly, and look to escape when faced with an overwhelming threat. You consider Hogwarts a place of innovation.
For now, your Temperament is "Compassionate Tinkerer". Not especially bright and somewhat naive, but caring, industrious and creative. Character sheet updated with basic information. It may be a few days before the prologue starts.
Prologue 1
Some witches and wizards claim to know the sense of magic. Whether by sight, sound, taste or something else entirely they purport to be able to detect its presence and caress. Often dismissed by their peers, they learn either to be more believable in their lies or more selective with their confidence. Regardless, to magical Britain at large the idea that magic is anything but an abstract, that it has measurable properties or a existence beyond what flows from a wand, is absurd.
The first thing you ever experience is magic.
The instant of your birth is awash with it, surging and spreading, carrying a foreign sense of being along with it. At first it seems you will continue expanding forever -- before your self halts at an apparently arbitrary perimeter. From this confinement, your perception of what is and is not you swiftly develops.
The energy pouring into you stems just as quickly, the overbearing thrum of power dying down to a barely noticeable thing at the utmost edge of observation. Without its distraction, your more conventional senses finally make themselves known -- the feel of cold, dry air and a faint scent of smoke most apparent.
When your eyes first open candlelight greets you. You are seated in a dimly lit chamber, upon a sturdy wooden chair. The room is small, the ceiling low enough that you are forced to stoop on standing, nearly cracking your head against it as you rise with less resistance than expected. There is little of note here besides the seat and scattered candles -- some smeared markings on the floor in various colors, what looks like a large pile of ash, and
{Rolling 2d6+5 (Subtlety) against a threshold of 14. 9+5 = 14, pass.}
a wand, dark green and twisted in on itself, near one of the walls.
Take it?
[X] (Wand) Yes
[] (Wand) No
You know what wands are -- at least, you know what they're called and to what ends they are used -- yet have never seen one before. It's strange, coming into being fully-formed, and stranger that you can recognize your knowledge as something unusual. Unfortunately, it lacks an answer as to its own origin.
Just then, as you are bent towards the wand, a crack sounds from outside the room's sole door. You freeze on instinct, head snapping towards the noise. The door bursts open, a short, irate witch -- with her broad and pointy
hat there's no reasonable chance she's a muggle -- stalking in, wand in hand and eyes darting madly around the room. Her wand is in hand and half-raised, though not towards you.
[] (Action) Raise your hands in surrender and claim you mean no harm.
[] (Action) Charge her and attempt to escape.
[X] (Action) Write-in: "Yes? Can I help you?"
If you took the wand you could:
[] (Action) Ready your own wand. You might not know any spells, but she might believe you do. Demand that she explain who she is and what's happening.
Or choose any of the other (Action)s listed.
I promise this isn't a cop-out. I'm not just making you an amnesiac in order to avoid discussing your character's background, you literally never existed before this scene. There is a fairly detailed reason for it which I hope will prove interesting, and it's intended to work with several other factors to justify your character being put in charge of Hogwarts despite lacking a relevant skill set. You weren't manifested by the school or anything silly like that, either.
Anyway, non-combat and non-spellcasting tests will be handled as above, with 2d6 being rolled, added to the relevant primary attribute (modified by any appropriate traits), and compared to a set difficulty threshold. In this case the outcome was binary -- you either saw the wand or you didn't -- but there can be degrees of success and failure in some instances. Double sixes and double ones are critical successes and failures respectively. Other characters play by the same rules when they perform some difficult task in a scene.
I'll be vetoing write-ins if I feel they don't work for whatever reason.
The first thing you ever experience is magic.
The instant of your birth is awash with it, surging and spreading, carrying a foreign sense of being along with it. At first it seems you will continue expanding forever -- before your self halts at an apparently arbitrary perimeter. From this confinement, your perception of what is and is not you swiftly develops.
The energy pouring into you stems just as quickly, the overbearing thrum of power dying down to a barely noticeable thing at the utmost edge of observation. Without its distraction, your more conventional senses finally make themselves known -- the feel of cold, dry air and a faint scent of smoke most apparent.
When your eyes first open candlelight greets you. You are seated in a dimly lit chamber, upon a sturdy wooden chair. The room is small, the ceiling low enough that you are forced to stoop on standing, nearly cracking your head against it as you rise with less resistance than expected. There is little of note here besides the seat and scattered candles -- some smeared markings on the floor in various colors, what looks like a large pile of ash, and
{Rolling 2d6+5 (Subtlety) against a threshold of 14. 9+5 = 14, pass.}
a wand, dark green and twisted in on itself, near one of the walls.
Take it?
[X] (Wand) Yes
[] (Wand) No
You know what wands are -- at least, you know what they're called and to what ends they are used -- yet have never seen one before. It's strange, coming into being fully-formed, and stranger that you can recognize your knowledge as something unusual. Unfortunately, it lacks an answer as to its own origin.
Just then, as you are bent towards the wand, a crack sounds from outside the room's sole door. You freeze on instinct, head snapping towards the noise. The door bursts open, a short, irate witch -- with her broad and pointy
hat there's no reasonable chance she's a muggle -- stalking in, wand in hand and eyes darting madly around the room. Her wand is in hand and half-raised, though not towards you.
[] (Action) Raise your hands in surrender and claim you mean no harm.
[] (Action) Charge her and attempt to escape.
[X] (Action) Write-in: "Yes? Can I help you?"
If you took the wand you could:
[] (Action) Ready your own wand. You might not know any spells, but she might believe you do. Demand that she explain who she is and what's happening.
Or choose any of the other (Action)s listed.
I promise this isn't a cop-out. I'm not just making you an amnesiac in order to avoid discussing your character's background, you literally never existed before this scene. There is a fairly detailed reason for it which I hope will prove interesting, and it's intended to work with several other factors to justify your character being put in charge of Hogwarts despite lacking a relevant skill set. You weren't manifested by the school or anything silly like that, either.
Anyway, non-combat and non-spellcasting tests will be handled as above, with 2d6 being rolled, added to the relevant primary attribute (modified by any appropriate traits), and compared to a set difficulty threshold. In this case the outcome was binary -- you either saw the wand or you didn't -- but there can be degrees of success and failure in some instances. Double sixes and double ones are critical successes and failures respectively. Other characters play by the same rules when they perform some difficult task in a scene.
I'll be vetoing write-ins if I feel they don't work for whatever reason.
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Prologue 2
You stare, the woman's sudden entry stunning you for a moment. Whoever she is, she doesn't seem to be hostile -- drawn wand notwithstanding.
"Yes? Can I--"
Her eyes lock with yours as her wand aims quicker than you can react, the tip rising and falling with practiced surety as she silently conjures a crimson bolt. You hurl yourself aside, your awkwardly hunched stature complicating the desperate maneuver and turning it into more of a collapse than a dodge. Fortunately, her aim was off-center -- not by much, but it's enough for the spell to slip by as you thud against the floor.
Before you can scramble upright, the stone beneath you shifts to form binding rings enclosing your limbs and torso. Struggling seems pointless, your bonds unperturbed by your hurried attempts at escape.
Though you no longer see her from your position, the clipped tapping of the witch's approach sounds clearly throughout the chamber. A series of words, just beneath a comprehensible volume, is uttered above you in an inconsistent rhythm to no clear effect.
You try to speak again.
"As I was--" something catches in your throat and you involuntarily hack to dislodge it.
"Tell me your name." The witch commands archly.
[X] (Name) Write-in: Actually, my friend, I was hoping you could answer that for me. I'll admit I'm a bit frazzled and really, if you could point me in the direction of wherever I left my name, I'd be duly grateful.
"If you escape before I return, I promise the results will not be to your favor."
With that, there is another crack, sharper for its proximity, and you are alone once more.
Luckily, it seems she didn't notice -- or didn't care to confiscate -- the wand currently enclosed in your left hand. It's small enough that your grasp must have concealed it from her sight. You should be able to channel the now-faint feeling of your magic through it, though accomplishing much of consequence may prove difficult.
[] (Action) Try to break free
- [] with brute force
- [] with the wand you picked up, recklessly
- [] with the wand you picked up, carefully
[X] (Action) Remain entrapped
The "Spells" section of the Encyclopedia has been updated.
Another short update, but there's a lot going on both visibly and not. I was going to have you roll to dodge the first spell, but figured this was better for pacing. Things should slow down in the next section one way or another, giving you some more context to what's going on.
For fun, I'll add that she didn't interrupt you with a spell the second time you attempted to talk.
"Yes? Can I--"
Her eyes lock with yours as her wand aims quicker than you can react, the tip rising and falling with practiced surety as she silently conjures a crimson bolt. You hurl yourself aside, your awkwardly hunched stature complicating the desperate maneuver and turning it into more of a collapse than a dodge. Fortunately, her aim was off-center -- not by much, but it's enough for the spell to slip by as you thud against the floor.
Before you can scramble upright, the stone beneath you shifts to form binding rings enclosing your limbs and torso. Struggling seems pointless, your bonds unperturbed by your hurried attempts at escape.
Though you no longer see her from your position, the clipped tapping of the witch's approach sounds clearly throughout the chamber. A series of words, just beneath a comprehensible volume, is uttered above you in an inconsistent rhythm to no clear effect.
You try to speak again.
"As I was--" something catches in your throat and you involuntarily hack to dislodge it.
"Tell me your name." The witch commands archly.
[X] (Name) Write-in: Actually, my friend, I was hoping you could answer that for me. I'll admit I'm a bit frazzled and really, if you could point me in the direction of wherever I left my name, I'd be duly grateful.
"If you escape before I return, I promise the results will not be to your favor."
With that, there is another crack, sharper for its proximity, and you are alone once more.
Luckily, it seems she didn't notice -- or didn't care to confiscate -- the wand currently enclosed in your left hand. It's small enough that your grasp must have concealed it from her sight. You should be able to channel the now-faint feeling of your magic through it, though accomplishing much of consequence may prove difficult.
[] (Action) Try to break free
- [] with brute force
- [] with the wand you picked up, recklessly
- [] with the wand you picked up, carefully
[X] (Action) Remain entrapped
The "Spells" section of the Encyclopedia has been updated.
Another short update, but there's a lot going on both visibly and not. I was going to have you roll to dodge the first spell, but figured this was better for pacing. Things should slow down in the next section one way or another, giving you some more context to what's going on.
For fun, I'll add that she didn't interrupt you with a spell the second time you attempted to talk.
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Prologue 3
{"Tell me your name." The witch commands archly.}
"Actually, my friend, I was hoping you could answer that for me. I'll admit I'm a bit frazzled, and really, if you could point in the direction of wherever I left my name I'd be duly grateful."
"This is no time for levity. Prompt honesty will see you released more easily than any attempt at deceit," she replies severely.
"Regardless, I find myself quite bereft of appellations at the moment -- mine, yours, or anyone at all's."
She doesn't respond, resuming her chants.
{With that, there is another crack, sharper for its proximity, and you are alone once more.}
This isn't the welcome you were hoping for. You weren't exactly hoping for one at all, given there's been very little chance to consider your circumstances, let alone anticipate the sudden intrusion of others into them. Luckily, you've been granted a reprieve from the interference of others, a chance to ponder just what is happening. You even have an excellent view of the ceiling -- flat, rectangular, grey, thoroughly innocuous...
and incredibly dull.
The approach of footsteps offers a welcome break from your boredom -- or it would, if they hadn't stopped before entering your room. The door's still partway open, but the voices you hear are muffled enough to be indecipherable. In many ways, their presence is worse than nothing and makes you long for the ennui of yesterminute. It's a relief when this fresh torment abates far sooner than the last with the sound of two people entering your impromptu prison, accompanied by a light bright enough to illuminate the room in full -- or at least what little of it you can see.
There's a squeak followed by the loudening patter of someone's rapid approach. A new voice, masculine but high, makes itself heard.
"Incredible! The sheer dedication needed to craft something like this in secret..."
You strain to see who's talking, eliciting a yelp from the speaker but failing to make headway.
"Alive! They're alive as well? What do you remember? Do you --"
"They claim to have lost their memory," the woman interrupts.
"Not quite, as I have a suitably detailed recollection of everything which has come to pass this... morning? Evening? Span of time from my waking to now," you interject.
"Hm, well, that's to be expected with the transference of soul," the man replies. The witch inhales sharply. "Soul traps aren't exactly known to retain much beyond the basics, when they manage to work at all."
"Is it the headmaster's?" She asks.
"Hmm?"
"The soul, is it Albus's?"
"What? No, no, whoever's soul it originally was would have to have been in this room during its transfer. I'd expect that heap of ashes to be what remains of their body."
A pause.
"Wait, why would the soul have been Albus's?"
"...The headmaster died less than an hour ago. Aurors are still investigating, but they're inclined to rule it an accident."
"Oh. I see. Well, that's...."
A longer, deeper pause.
"Um, Minerva, you need to release... the soul trap. We don't have a legal basis for holding them."
She does so, and as you rise you finally have an opportunity to examine yourself.
Your body is
[] (Body) chrome metal with gems studded from place to place -- one in the center of your chest, one on each hand, and many others.
[X] (Body) pliable, with a pale outer layer reminiscent of skin. There are pinpricks of gold on the fingers and hands.
[] (Body) spindly, elegant, a frame with many exposed gears in brass and silver.
[] (Body) jagged and mathematical. A dazzling array of colors in a dizzyingly complex fractal arrangement.
[] (Body) fabric draped over something solid. Surprisingly warm, with the faintest indication of movement within.
A tiny wizard has joined you in the chamber. Despite his prior excitability, he now appears to be on the verge of tears. "Minerva", the witch from earlier, is looking away from the both of you. The light filling the room is emanating from her wand.
What will you do now?
[] (Action) You'll wait here. It might be a little awkward, given that the wizard is grieving and Minerva clearly isn't doing much better, but you'd like to see what they do next.
[X] (Action) You'll try to comfort the man. You might not know who this "Albus" fellow was, but you should still make an attempt to empathize, right?
[] (Action) You'll start looking around. Finally getting out of this room and stretching your legs a bit would make for a nice change of pace.
[] (Action) You'll leave. If they aren't keeping you put, you have no reason to stay. Sure, you lack information on where you are or what you ought to do, but you'll figure something out.
[] (Action) Write-in
The "Spells" section of the Encyclopedia has been updated.
Alright, so, we're now getting into the actual plot of things.
The fourth option for (Body), the fractal colors one, is based on the appearance of bismuth. The rest are more understandable as written, but I'll elaborate on them if asked.
"Actually, my friend, I was hoping you could answer that for me. I'll admit I'm a bit frazzled, and really, if you could point in the direction of wherever I left my name I'd be duly grateful."
"This is no time for levity. Prompt honesty will see you released more easily than any attempt at deceit," she replies severely.
"Regardless, I find myself quite bereft of appellations at the moment -- mine, yours, or anyone at all's."
She doesn't respond, resuming her chants.
{With that, there is another crack, sharper for its proximity, and you are alone once more.}
This isn't the welcome you were hoping for. You weren't exactly hoping for one at all, given there's been very little chance to consider your circumstances, let alone anticipate the sudden intrusion of others into them. Luckily, you've been granted a reprieve from the interference of others, a chance to ponder just what is happening. You even have an excellent view of the ceiling -- flat, rectangular, grey, thoroughly innocuous...
and incredibly dull.
The approach of footsteps offers a welcome break from your boredom -- or it would, if they hadn't stopped before entering your room. The door's still partway open, but the voices you hear are muffled enough to be indecipherable. In many ways, their presence is worse than nothing and makes you long for the ennui of yesterminute. It's a relief when this fresh torment abates far sooner than the last with the sound of two people entering your impromptu prison, accompanied by a light bright enough to illuminate the room in full -- or at least what little of it you can see.
There's a squeak followed by the loudening patter of someone's rapid approach. A new voice, masculine but high, makes itself heard.
"Incredible! The sheer dedication needed to craft something like this in secret..."
You strain to see who's talking, eliciting a yelp from the speaker but failing to make headway.
"Alive! They're alive as well? What do you remember? Do you --"
"They claim to have lost their memory," the woman interrupts.
"Not quite, as I have a suitably detailed recollection of everything which has come to pass this... morning? Evening? Span of time from my waking to now," you interject.
"Hm, well, that's to be expected with the transference of soul," the man replies. The witch inhales sharply. "Soul traps aren't exactly known to retain much beyond the basics, when they manage to work at all."
"Is it the headmaster's?" She asks.
"Hmm?"
"The soul, is it Albus's?"
"What? No, no, whoever's soul it originally was would have to have been in this room during its transfer. I'd expect that heap of ashes to be what remains of their body."
A pause.
"Wait, why would the soul have been Albus's?"
"...The headmaster died less than an hour ago. Aurors are still investigating, but they're inclined to rule it an accident."
"Oh. I see. Well, that's...."
A longer, deeper pause.
"Um, Minerva, you need to release... the soul trap. We don't have a legal basis for holding them."
She does so, and as you rise you finally have an opportunity to examine yourself.
Your body is
[] (Body) chrome metal with gems studded from place to place -- one in the center of your chest, one on each hand, and many others.
[X] (Body) pliable, with a pale outer layer reminiscent of skin. There are pinpricks of gold on the fingers and hands.
[] (Body) spindly, elegant, a frame with many exposed gears in brass and silver.
[] (Body) jagged and mathematical. A dazzling array of colors in a dizzyingly complex fractal arrangement.
[] (Body) fabric draped over something solid. Surprisingly warm, with the faintest indication of movement within.
A tiny wizard has joined you in the chamber. Despite his prior excitability, he now appears to be on the verge of tears. "Minerva", the witch from earlier, is looking away from the both of you. The light filling the room is emanating from her wand.
What will you do now?
[] (Action) You'll wait here. It might be a little awkward, given that the wizard is grieving and Minerva clearly isn't doing much better, but you'd like to see what they do next.
[X] (Action) You'll try to comfort the man. You might not know who this "Albus" fellow was, but you should still make an attempt to empathize, right?
[] (Action) You'll start looking around. Finally getting out of this room and stretching your legs a bit would make for a nice change of pace.
[] (Action) You'll leave. If they aren't keeping you put, you have no reason to stay. Sure, you lack information on where you are or what you ought to do, but you'll figure something out.
[] (Action) Write-in
The "Spells" section of the Encyclopedia has been updated.
Alright, so, we're now getting into the actual plot of things.
The fourth option for (Body), the fractal colors one, is based on the appearance of bismuth. The rest are more understandable as written, but I'll elaborate on them if asked.
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Vote Closure and Elaboration 2 (with bonus dice roll solicitation)
[X] (Body) pliable, with a pale outer layer reminiscent of skin. There are pinpricks of gold on the fingers and hands. 6
[] (Body) spindly, elegant, a frame with many exposed gears in brass and silver. 4
[] (Body) jagged and mathematical. A dazzling array of colors in a dizzyingly complex fractal arrangement. 4
[] (Body) fabric draped over something solid. Surprisingly warm, with the faintest indication of movement within. 3
[] (Action) You'll wait here. It might be a little awkward, given that the wizard is grieving and Minerva clearly isn't doing much better, but you'd like to see what they do next. 0
[X] (Action) You'll try to comfort the man. You might not know who this "Albus" fellow was, but you should still make an attempt to empathize, right? 12
[] (Action) You'll start looking around. Finally getting out of this room and stretching your legs a bit would make for a nice change of pace. 0
[] (Action) You'll leave. If they aren't keeping you put, you have no reason to stay. Sure, you lack information on where you are or what you ought to do, but you'll figure something out. 0
[] (Action) Write-in 0
So, the fourth question in the first post -- the one about what Hogwarts means to you -- was responsible for determining what options you'd have for your body. Legacy would've been more focused on golems and other traditional magical automata, Stability would've been organic stuff, and Mystery would've been more mystical and incorporeal. Innovation gave you more robotic and technologically-inspired choices.
In this vote, the "chrome and gems" option was a fusion between Legacy and Innovation while the "fabric" option was a mix of Innovation and Mystery. The "clockwork" and "mathematics" choices were each pure Innovation, and the winning vote took influence from Stability.
Overall, your choices so far have started leaning you more towards passivity than where you started, but not enough to start affecting your temperament. Your (Action) this turn helped reinforce the "Compassionate" component of it, and you haven't really had an opportunity to experiment or create much yet, with the exception of trying to use the wand you acquired.
I unfortunately don't have an update ready this time. I do, however, have a need for someone to roll 2d6 as a Gumption test to see how your attempt at comforting goes. The minimum threshold's at 10, with a bonus effect if you hit 13, so you'll have to roll at least 5 and 8 respectively for each degree of success.
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Prologue 4
Why couldn't you have been eased into the sundry ordeals of the living? Getting chucked into the fray without a chance to acclimate is harrowing to say the least. Still, what must be done now is clear, if far from simple.
You approach the diminutive wizard and crouch down. He's so incredibly short that you'd only reach eye-level when prone, but you feel the effort should be made regardless.
{Rolling 2d6+5 (Gumption) against a threshold of 10/13. 5+5 = 10, low pass.}
Your lack of experience in comforting the grieving is obvious to you, and it's unlikely anything you can come up with would accurately encapsulate your intentions. But if your words won't suffice, why not borrow some from a more appropriate source?
"I may never have met Albus, but I'm sure he was a fine man. When he comforted others who had suffered, what would he say?"
"...Albus was very experienced with the deaths of friends and allies. He believed deeply that while life may end, the essence of a person lives on in those they loved," he says with a sniffle.
"In that case, I have no doubt that you and those others surviving him will do his memory justice."
He cries more deeply at that, and you withdraw, fearing you may have overstepped. You are left waiting awkwardly with an aloof Minerva as the man slowly calms.
Your concerns prove unfounded when, shortly after the tears stop altogether, the man looks to you with a wavering smile.
"I only now realize I've yet to introduce myself. I'm Filius Flitwick. It really is a pleasure to meet you, despite recent events being set on spoiling the experience."
"The pleasure is mine, and I'm grateful to have someone's name at my disposal," you reply, grinning slightly.
"I really would love to sit down and have a nice, long chat with you about so very many things, but under the circumstances..." he turns to look at Minerva, who has remained still this entire time.
"Minerva, what was it that brought you here to start with?"
She finally breaks her sojourn, turning towards Flitwick. It takes a moment for her to respond.
"...Until a little while ago, I was in my office planning for the upcoming semester. Albus has... had a system for alerting me in the event he's indisposed, so that I could take up his duties without delay. I took its activation to mean that the headmaster had... something unforeseen occur during his holiday, and sought him out. Following the tether linking Hogwarts to him lead me here."
She turns to you and sighs in frustration.
"I am sorry. In any other situation I wouldn't have been so rash as to attack you unprovoked, but finding what appeared to be the site of a dark ritual where I was expecting the headmaster was... upsetting."
Your response?
[] (Respond) Accept her apology blithely.
[X] (Respond) Accept her apology, but chastise her recklessness. Someone could've been hurt!
[] (Respond) Reject her apology.
[] (Respond) Write-in
"While the spellwork used to create them was dark, the soul trap isn't," Filius says, turning to you. "In fact, while your body itself may be of, er, less-than-optimal construction, there is no sign whatsoever of damage to your soul. We can't be sure of it without invasive -- and, of course, quite dark -- examinations, but by all reasonable measures you are thoroughly shipshape. Quite an achievement, given that, as far as I'm aware, you're the first functional soul trap to walk upon Britain's soil."
Minerva frowns at that. "Do you have any idea who could have created them?"
"No, unfortunately. Dark wizards and witches seldom leave a maker's mark with which to identify their work."
Do you want to help identify the dark mage? If so, how?
[X] (Help) Yes
-[X] Write-in: Volunteer yourself for an inspection, visual, magical, or however else they deem necessary.
[] (Help) No
Your traits have been updated.
I'm expecting the votes to be pretty one-sided this time unless there're a bunch of write-ins, but surprises are always welcome. It's much easier for me to write Flitwick than McGonagall, and I had to rewrite her dialogue here a few times before it came out reasonably close to how I think she should sound.
You approach the diminutive wizard and crouch down. He's so incredibly short that you'd only reach eye-level when prone, but you feel the effort should be made regardless.
{Rolling 2d6+5 (Gumption) against a threshold of 10/13. 5+5 = 10, low pass.}
Your lack of experience in comforting the grieving is obvious to you, and it's unlikely anything you can come up with would accurately encapsulate your intentions. But if your words won't suffice, why not borrow some from a more appropriate source?
"I may never have met Albus, but I'm sure he was a fine man. When he comforted others who had suffered, what would he say?"
"...Albus was very experienced with the deaths of friends and allies. He believed deeply that while life may end, the essence of a person lives on in those they loved," he says with a sniffle.
"In that case, I have no doubt that you and those others surviving him will do his memory justice."
He cries more deeply at that, and you withdraw, fearing you may have overstepped. You are left waiting awkwardly with an aloof Minerva as the man slowly calms.
Your concerns prove unfounded when, shortly after the tears stop altogether, the man looks to you with a wavering smile.
"I only now realize I've yet to introduce myself. I'm Filius Flitwick. It really is a pleasure to meet you, despite recent events being set on spoiling the experience."
"The pleasure is mine, and I'm grateful to have someone's name at my disposal," you reply, grinning slightly.
"I really would love to sit down and have a nice, long chat with you about so very many things, but under the circumstances..." he turns to look at Minerva, who has remained still this entire time.
"Minerva, what was it that brought you here to start with?"
She finally breaks her sojourn, turning towards Flitwick. It takes a moment for her to respond.
"...Until a little while ago, I was in my office planning for the upcoming semester. Albus has... had a system for alerting me in the event he's indisposed, so that I could take up his duties without delay. I took its activation to mean that the headmaster had... something unforeseen occur during his holiday, and sought him out. Following the tether linking Hogwarts to him lead me here."
She turns to you and sighs in frustration.
"I am sorry. In any other situation I wouldn't have been so rash as to attack you unprovoked, but finding what appeared to be the site of a dark ritual where I was expecting the headmaster was... upsetting."
Your response?
[] (Respond) Accept her apology blithely.
[X] (Respond) Accept her apology, but chastise her recklessness. Someone could've been hurt!
[] (Respond) Reject her apology.
[] (Respond) Write-in
"While the spellwork used to create them was dark, the soul trap isn't," Filius says, turning to you. "In fact, while your body itself may be of, er, less-than-optimal construction, there is no sign whatsoever of damage to your soul. We can't be sure of it without invasive -- and, of course, quite dark -- examinations, but by all reasonable measures you are thoroughly shipshape. Quite an achievement, given that, as far as I'm aware, you're the first functional soul trap to walk upon Britain's soil."
Minerva frowns at that. "Do you have any idea who could have created them?"
"No, unfortunately. Dark wizards and witches seldom leave a maker's mark with which to identify their work."
Do you want to help identify the dark mage? If so, how?
[X] (Help) Yes
-[X] Write-in: Volunteer yourself for an inspection, visual, magical, or however else they deem necessary.
[] (Help) No
Your traits have been updated.
I'm expecting the votes to be pretty one-sided this time unless there're a bunch of write-ins, but surprises are always welcome. It's much easier for me to write Flitwick than McGonagall, and I had to rewrite her dialogue here a few times before it came out reasonably close to how I think she should sound.
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