Chimwemwe and Alrinkiri catch a frog.
Who're you? She stands up. I am acquiring supernatural samples. Nothing that would hurt these frogs. But they're cursed and I want to find out how. The frogs begin to gather closer, croaking away.
Esi chuckles. That they may be, o. She points at the growing swarm. It's uncanny.
It's supernatural. And I am going to reverse-engineer this curse. Maybe I can sell the it, or save it for a good prank on my enemies…
Careful, o! You've been disciplined for that already.
Akoril chuckles but decides to stay away from the cursed frogs as he hears more about them.
Alrinkiri offers their caught frog to the woman. "I am called Alrinkiri. What is your name?"
"Chimwemwe," he answers. He looks at the frog and cocks his head. "Interesting," he remarks before offering her the frog. "There is magic in everything. Just need to find the right way to coax it out. I'll have to study these after we've finished orienting. We're new initiates." Without his tools, reagents, and other fragile things to worry about, he seems unbothered by all the rain falling on his head.
Alrinkiri offers their caught frog to the woman. "I am called Alrinkiri. What is your name?"
Mariama. Thanks. She accepts the frog, takes out a cotton swab, and rubs it on the bullfrog's throat.
Careful, o! You've been disciplined for that already.
She picks up the thread of Esi's comment. They won't catch me this time, Esi. I'm careful.
Like the time you accidentally summoned a devil in the middle of logic class, o? Some theorem that was!
How many times do I need to tell you it was the chalk! It was enchanted!
She tosses the bullfrog into the pond… it immediately hops back out and croaks at her feet.
|
Seeing his friends hesitate, Soomdevi, the witch, says, ”Hexes and curses aren’t anything to worry about. They’re just another puzzle to figure out.”
He gestures toward an area near the pond where frogs are jumping around, and says, ”Night night.” Then he blasts it with a sleep spell, hoping to put some frogs to sleep!
"Do you have any of that chalk left?" Chimwemwe asks. Finding himself with an extra frog, he gently strokes the amphibian on the head with his finger and then releases it toward the pond.
Damn right. She whistles at how effective Soomdevi's magic is. She picks up a sleeping frog and gently swabs the inside of its mouth, collecting a good sample of its saliva. And there's curses and supernatural effects everywhere. You got to know where to look, and how to protect yourself. And then, send 'em back at your enemies!
--
Do I have the chalk? I was too busy helping fight off an accuser devil. Maybe I slipped some into my pocket, maybe not. Sure, there was some that ended up missing but it probably got crushed on the floor, what with all the screaming and running. They can't prove anything!
Chimwemwe raises an eyebrow at the overly defensive answer (and probably also all the frogs falling asleep simultaneously). He covers his mouth to stifle a yawn. "You should visit Jaha once you're able. You would have much to study."
Akoril gives another slightly nervous chuckle. They all seem nonchalant about these curses. Curses are no joke!
Chimwemwe then looks back and forth between Esi and Mariama with expectant admiration and asks, "Did you all truly drive off a zebub on your own?"
Easy as pie.
Esi rolls her eyes. With no little help from Teracher Ulawa, o.
You leave Mariama to her de-cursing.
☀☀☀
Esi brings you back towards the front. I almost forgot the Soaring Spire, o! Are you afraid of heights? However, she pauses at the last door on the left, which is open.
Inside is a handsome Bonuwat youth sitting at a desk, painting miniatures beneath a large magnifying lens that's held in place with a mechanical clamp. Games of all kinds, from wooden board games to dartboards and hoops, have been impeccably organized. There is not even a speck of dust or mud on anything.
He puts down a delicate brush and looks up at Esi with excitement. Ahh. Esi! Behold! I have nearly completed my Taldan Imperial Navy Fleet. It has only taken me a few hundred hours to get the detail to my level of satisfaction. I shall crush Miriama's Chelish Navy in the next week's war game. He holds aloft a three-master that's about a foot long; it's exquisitely detailed with layers of shading and sharp lines.
Well, says Esi, Miriama's minis aren't even painted — and mostly broken, o. She keeps them in a pile on the floor. I've seen them. If they were real boats, they'd sink..
Okoro shakes his head. And she always loses. She thinks she is magically cursed. But everyone knows: painted models roll better.
Esi gestures at your party. By the way, this is the new cohort. Cohort, this is Okoro. He hosts Spire Dorm's game night.
"I'm Chimwemwe," he says with a smile and shy wave. "Is game night open to anyone?"
Everyone in the dorm is invited! Are you interested? We have a biweekly event. Cards, tactical war games, board games, puzzles, role-playing, trivia… Okoro rattles off several dozen varieties.
"Oh, I love games! I don't think I've played very many of these, though."
What kind of games do you like? You know, there is also a game merchant in the city. They may be able to order or find other games, as well.
"I like card games," Chimwemwe says. "Do you play Old Mage?" He pulls a leather case out of his pouch and opens it to reveal a frayed, discolored paper deck of cards. "Or is that considered irreverent in Nantambu? I like board games and puzzles, too."
Old Mage is a classic.
Careful. Ignaci clears house. He's a card shark.
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Okoro continues. In case you are interested, I am also an Adventure Commander of the local 'Tomb Robber Society,' a Nantambu-wide fantasy roleplaying campaign using the Pioneer 2.0 ruleset.
Esi whispers: It's mostly a TON of paperwork, o.
"The game or running the society?" Chimwemwe whispers back to Esi. To Okoro, he says, "I look forward to the game nights!"
Both!
Ignaci almost always wins at cards, and plays often. He is an extremely cunning opponent.
Noxolo sometimes partakes, but less frequently. She is often at concerts with Anchor Root, at the The Speaker’s Stage or in town, or doing magical or mundane fashion experiments with Ignaci and Tzeniwe.
Please be careful. The games, especially cards, can be quite high-stakes. Just last week Mariama won Haibram’s room for example. He is still furious.
Poor Haibram. His room is just across from mine. Note that I am content here, it is a cozy space. I am content. But Haibram is… Okoro trals off as someone outside shouts:
… a rather … large personality…
Chizire's lazy voice from the porch: Mmmmm. It will, whether you like it or not. That's called science. Water is heavy. It will affect your glide ratio and drag. A pause, no doubt a yawn. Not to mention the lightning and wind.
You step outside and see a powerfully-built Mbe’ke dwarf with fiery hair. Strapped to his back is a pair of cloth-and-reed dragon wings big enough for flight. They're about 15 feet wide. They're painted bright red.
The dwarf grins at you and flaps the wings. HEY! I love me an audience! Ya here to watch Haibram's inaugural monsoon-flight? He flexes his powerful muscles.
Chizire yawns and slices more mango; distant thunder rolls. It might be… electrifying…
"Chizire is right," Chimwemwe remarks. "I might be able to help with that, though." He traces out several invisible diagrams in the air with his finger. "Eventually. The wings look at least three paces too short. And that does not count the weight of the rain water. Did you seal the cloth?" He seems oddly familiar with mechanical attempts to fly but does seem to be forgetting about magic.
Maybe you an' Chizire is right, maybe you ain't. Only one way ta find out. That's by doin' it an' not talking' about it.
Akoril introduces himself "All these other games sound interesting... I know cress, is anything similar?" he asks somewhat nervously, quickly realizing how much bigger and more varied the world is than he previously thought.
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A classic! claps Okoro.
RIGHT!
Soomdevi nods in agreement with Haibram.
”Only one way to find out. Where’re you going to jump from?”
From… right…
Haibram sprints at the pillar. Right before the inevitable collision, he leaps into the air! He goes up, and up, and up… to the top of the 50-foot pillar, and then above it… at about 70 feet his spreads the dragon-wings and begins to glide toward the heart of campus. However, it soon becomes apparent that Chizire and Chimwemwe may be right. Haibram begins losing elevation quickly as the wings collect water. He tries to adjust the wings, but to no avail. He begins to plummet like a stone as the rain drags his glider down… his howl echoes across campus. DAAANNNNGIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTT…
Science. Purrs Chizire.
”Indeed,” Chinwemwe says. Then, after a pause, ”Should we go make sure he didn’t break any bones?”
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Right before Haibram smashes into a tree-top, his descent is slowed; the air in front of him burns with heat and it trails behind him like a comet. Those of you trained in arcana or primal magic know this athe famous feather fall spell, but tinged with fire.
Esi whistles and agrees with Soomdevi. He did better than I thought, o.
This is Soaring Spire. There is a gravitational anomaly here, o. She asks you to step closer to the pillar; you feel lighter, and the hair on your head begins to float. If you aren't afraid of heights, you can leap very high! And if you don’t go too high the magic will slow your descent. Or, you can learn emergency spells like Haibram.
It's easier than climbing to the roof, purrs Chizire. And cats always land on their feet.
"It's not roped off or anything...people can just come jump here? Despite the dangers?"
Alrinkiri doesn't wait for an answer, gracefully springing into action, leaping against the spire and bounding up to the top of the pillar, where they sit like a housecat upon a bookshelf looking down.
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Remember, I checked your beads when you came here, o!
Alrinkiri can see the whole campus from up top. Wind lashes their cloak. The Circle glows with elemental energy in the center of campus, and the weathered statues of the magical warriors face inward, far taller than the Spire on which Alrinkiri stands.
Akoril tentatively tries a few short leaps, slowly approaching 50 feet but not feeling brave enough to jump further
While the others practice with the buoyant region around the Soaring Spire, Chimwemwe considers the structure's design, placement and relation to other buildings and trees. He murmurs to himself and occasionally draws shapes in the air while he examines the tower.
The spire is beyond Chimwemwe… for now.
After watching you experiment with the spire for several unites, Esi seems to grow bored. Anyone hungry, o? I can show you the dining hall and campus store.
Chimwemwe's stomach growls again at the mention of the dining hall, and he yawns. "Yes, please."
Akoril's stomach growls as well and he nods enthusiastically.
It's a short walk to the dining hall; you pass another dorm, the Sun Dowm, on the way. There are many more students at universty than just the nine you've met, of course!
The Magaambya’s dining hall is a large, kitchen‑warmed facility with handsome mosaics and plenty of seating. Though most students take their meals outside on sunny days, the hall is a very popular meeting place for students and teachers during the rainy season (which started today). Inside, scholars and students soak up the warmth, chat with each other, and casually eat slices of mango or plantains from wide, shallow baskets.
The cook herself comes out to greet you. Welcome to the domain of Lumusi Yao! She hands each of you a glass bead resembling a piece of fruit to mark your status. You students receive two meals every day, and my dining hall is open from sunrise until two hours after sunset each day.
And if you ever need a job, we have an excellent work-study program here in the kitchens!
The menu changes daily; today's has fried plaintains and tamarind yogurt, thiakry mixed with energy fruit balls and couscous, tabbouleh salad, spicy roast goat, restorative smoothies, and individually-wrapped puff-puff portable donut holes.
"Thank you," Chimwemwe says, accepting the bead from Lumusi Yao. He looks around the dining hall. "It smells great! Do we sign in for meals or..?"
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Lumusi answers Chimwemwe's question. Most of us recognize students on sight, but you can show your beads as well. You eat for free here.
You finish your meals; they are quite good, for cafeteria food.
☀☀☀
Last stop. o. Off to the Powderpile! Who wants to go shopping? Along the way, Esi explains that the campus store is affectionately named "powderpile" because of the large collection of magical dust stored there.
Inside, you find a stern-looking kobold minding the store at a counter. New students, yes? He digs around behind the counter and produces five small lumps of clay. Each of you take a piece of clay. You must do me a favor: roll them into beads of your own design, and then return them to me. I will add them to my collection!
And here are your beads. He gives each of you a tan glass bead in the shape of a bulging sack.
He licks his fingers and turns the pages in his ledger. Two… three… four… five… 200 gold… He makes some precise notes in the ledger, counts a rather large pile of gold (perhaps more than some of you have seen in your lifetime), divides it, and hands each of you 40 GP.
Your initial stipend. You may also collect your quills, ink, and parchment free of charge… so long as you are students in good standing. And so long as you are students in good standing, you also receive 4 gold pieces at the start of each month. He licks his fingers, and turns the pages in his ledger, and counts you again. Two… three… four… five… 20 gold… He makes some more notes, and hands each of you 4 GP.
You can peruse the store, which is very well-organized and stocked.