diatuooc | Test Drive #1

Test Drive #1

The Airship There

By carriage or coach, spellwagon or ship, perhaps even on the wings of magic, the Sundered heed the call to gather at the Tenzin High Dock of Vulbaria. On this, the appointed day, a great passenger airship sits in the dock, the seals of the six Houses fluttering from flagpoles along her length and her wooden planks atremble as if it is eager to be off. At last, the gangplank descends, and the Hand of Diatu opens her doors to the Sundered so they can take their first step on the path towards protection and salvation.

Inside, you may choose from long comfortable couches, broad circular tables surrounded by straight-backed, cushioned chairs, or viewing seats at the glass front of the ship. Sundered who need special accommodations are quickly provided for, ensuring everyone travels in comfort. Trays drift through the air periodically, offering snacks and drinks to the passengers.

This may be the first chance you've had to truly relax since being swept to this strange world. Certainly it is the first chance you've had to meet your fellow Sundered. As the airship lifts gracefully off from the High Dock, your journey to Diatu begins. Excited? Nervous? Simply angry? Or perhaps searching among the crowd here for a familiar face or some sign of hope?

Rain, Rain...

Welcome to Diatu Magicademy. It's raining.

Seriously raining. One of those downpours that feels like a curtain has dropped on you, that soaks to the bone within a second of stepping into it. Obviously, this won't do, and a civic-minded cluster of Purifeul students has taken it upon themselves to solve this problem. No sooner do you step through the gates then you practically run into a giant and complex runic diagram being drawn out with long staffs by several students, all of them speaking seeming nonsense about derivatives, limits, and equations. Magic! In action right before your eyes!

And yet, just as their mathemagics wind towards the center of the diagram and they all make their final stroke -- one student slashes his line off on a weird tangent, speaking an equation that sounds nothing at all like what his fellows utter. The spell completes... weirdly, as the students look in horror at each other. The temperature abruptly drops seventy degrees, and a cold wind begins to blow.

Welcome to Diatu Magicademy. Please get out of the blizzard before you freeze.

Thaumaturgy 101

After some fifteen minutes of grumbling from Professor Loshakle, followed by half an hour of theory and basics, the grouchy old man finally gets to drawing a magical symbol on the board. "This is straight out of Fundamental Principles of Wizarding," he says, writing Sense Magic next to the symbol. "As is everything you'll learn here. I'll emphasize yet again, you MUST know the name of the spell and the proper gestures. You can't simply wave your wand in any old pattern and say any old words. That isn't how it works," he says, glaring around the class as if daring someone to question him.

But he gives no one the opportunity, instead producing a wand and making the gesture to trace the symbol he'd drawn in midair. "Sense Magic," he intones, and the air and his wand both shimmer.

"Now. You all try." Just like that. What the Professor doesn't mention is that this spell can produce some very interesting results if the symbol is off, or the timing...

Bala-inlota Practice

Bala-inlota is the main interaction the Magicademies have with each other -- the sport of wizards! Two teams take the field, with the goal of heaving a ball through their opponent's hoop. The rules primarily revolve around not inflicting lethal injury, because bala-inlota is a free-for-all at best, where each team relies on both physical and magical might to win the day.

You kind of wish someone had told you this BEFORE you got hauled onto the field so the coach could see if you've got what it takes.

Now half a dozen players are charging down the field at your ragtag group of semi-willing recruits, while another half-dozen are preparing spells that you've been absolutely assured aren't as nasty as the ones deployed in actual play. On your side: the ball, your wits, your physical ability, and maybe three classes's worth of magical education.

On the upside, magic is pretty good at healing.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He brightens a bit, shoulders easing.]

Yes. I think I'm meant to be here. I wasn't strong enough, when I left.

[Meant to be here... It's strange, but Alphinaud feels a similar intuition. It isn't for his lack of strength, though if he could progress in that regard, he might be of more assistance as well. However, there's a plight in his land, and he had recently ventured in search of answers. He heard started to hear a voice calling him, and then... Well, here we are.]

I would like to believe the same. And— It's a bit late, but:

[He extends a cold, wet hand towards him.]

Alphinaud Leveilleur. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.

[Eleven smiles, and takes his hand despite the cold.]

Eleven. I hope we can be friends.

[Because for all he loves the friends he already has, it would be nice sometimes if they're weren't also depending on him to be the Luminary, too]

..Can I ask where you're from?

[He gives the hand a firm shake before releasing it, and he nods in response to his first statement. Having allies in a foreign land is always a welcome idea in his book.]

Certainly. I hail from the Dravanian Hinterlands, a region which is part of Ishgard, which itself is located in Eorzea.

[He's never heard of any of those places- not that he'd really expected to, but it still comes as a bit of a shock]

This truly is a different world. I would never have dreamed..

[The realization is so great that he shivers with it, and is reminded again of cold and wet he is]

Before all that however, mayhaps we should warm.

[Eleven's words do help to solidify Alphinaud's hypotheses. He had already been aware of the existence of other worlds, as well as a capability to somehow travel between them, though... Similarly to their own case, perhaps this is limited, possibly one-way. He still believes that return is possible, of course, and it will be his ultimate goal to figure out how.

Pondering over this, he loses his chance to ask about his new friend's world in return, but he brings up an excellent point. There must be someplace warmer within these walls, and this conversation could continue in a much more comfortable place.]

A fine suggestion, indeed. I'll leave it to you to lead the way.

[He knows about as much about the layout of the Academy as anyone, but takes the lead easily enough. Following a breath of warm air, he happens across a room with a crackling fireplace and immediately decides that it's a good place as any to stand near.

He wrangles a wooden chair to drape his coat over and angles it a little closer. His bag and sword find themselves set upon the seat, preferring to stand close to the hearth rather than sit.

At last, he turns back to his new acquaintance and settles on the question he next wants most to ask]

Do you have a World Tree, too?

[He follows along, already feeling as though his condition has become much more tolerable just by distancing themselves from the site of incident, but realistically it's thanks to delving deeper into the interior of the building. Once Eleven leads them into the room with the hearth, Alphinaud exhales deeply, the warmth providing immediate relief. He follows suit, removing his jacket and rearranging the furniture to better suit his needs, but he chooses to sit instead. Admittedly, he starts to feel a bit tired, but he's sure that once his body temperature returns to normal, so will his senses.]

A World "Tree"... [Though he should be able to answer it easily enough, he considers it deeply, keeping in mind knowledge of distant locales with which he is less familiar.] There may be some tales of such in certain folklores, but I do not think any would exact the purpose that it sounds like yours must have. It is something important, yes?

[He nods, turning again to stretch his hands out toward the flames. The heat is blessed on chilled palms and he lets out a soft sigh]

It's the source of all life, but I couldn't see one from the airship. ..I wonder how there can be light without it.

Edited 2019-01-19 00:08 (UTC)

I see. In that case, I can more clearly state that no such thing exists in my realm. At least, not in the form of a tree. As we can now presume that energy sources vary across worlds, I wouldn't worry over the lack of a recognizable landmark from your home.

[But he wonders: What is the source of life in this world? This is another interesting concept he shall have to investigate further.]

Though I would be curious to research it as well— this World Tree.

[His heart leaps in his chest. If not for the chill and lick of flames on his face, he might even look a touch pale. A shiver crawls down his spine.

It fell.

For several long moments, he struggles with how to respond]

It's difficult to reach her. The Arborians stand watch over the First Forest.

Is that so? That is a shame, but then... We've currently no means of traveling to see it— her?— regardless. Perhaps sometime you can tell me what you know.

[He's finally feeling thoroughly thawed out, and he closes his eyes, soaking in the warmth. His clothes are even beginning to dry, even if only slightly, but it is truly a blessing.]

For now, I believe I am quite eager to rest my eyes.

Sometime.

[But not now, certainly.

Eleven finally moves his things to sit and hunches forward, arms coming to rest over his legs. Staring into the flames like this, it's almost as though he's just settling in at camp again, keeping watch as his friends rest.

It's good to have friends.]

[The peace is comforting, the crackling embers of the fireplace creating a soothing rhythm amidst the otherwise silent room. Though his eyes are closed, Alphinaud had not actually intended to fall asleep here and now, but he starts to drift regardless without his realizing. His head droops down suddenly, alerting him to this, and it calls him back to his senses for only a moment before he drifts once more. It's been a long day.]

Test Drive #1

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