Field Mission 6: A Day in Thay, Part 1

[balancemod]

oh man best of luck out there dudes NAVIGATION Click here for the RNG thread! Ready or not, rested or not, it's time to get moving, Reclaimers. You've got a very, very long day ahead of you. And another one. And another one. And, you get the joke. Early Friday morning, with the Director there to see them off, the Reclaimers load up into the Bureau's transportation orbs for the sixth time since this whole ordeal began, and make their way to about a mile or two outside of Thay. It's important to try to stick to the story, at least — that you're all visitors from a faraway school, here to spend some time with the students and faculty of Boarbumps. As much as Lucretia would have liked to join you, she can't. None of the other leading members of the Bureau of Balance can. Whoever enters Thay, after all, is entering a bubble, after all. A time trap. Nobody will be able to leave until the Relic, the Lamp of Undoing, is either retrieved or destroyed. Someone needs to be able to continue if you all can't. 1. SEVEN O'CLOCK ALREADY As we noted in the OOC post, prompts on this log will be a quick few sentences of specific things happening during each hour. It's expected that Reclaimers will be seeing all of these events multiple times! So feel free to play with them as you see fit. If you're not sure if something you want to do would warrant a roll, please ask us in the RNG thread. ○ The Reclaimers have arrived in Thay, much to the curiosity of the highly intelligent, occasionally highly ... suspicious ... residents. Nevertheless, they recognize you as visiting, esteemed students, and, though perhaps still suspicious, welcome you into their fold. Also, as a note: Every time the relic is used, time is reset to this moment. ○ Boarbumps Academy for the Magically Inclined opens its doors to the Reclaimers. This is your first opening to explore the school — afternoon classes begin in an hour. ○ Rainer Arunsun, The Regent of Thay and Highest of the Hermetic Order of Red Wizards, can be seen watching the new arrivals by the entrance to the Red Keep. It's difficult to discern any emotion on her face. Shortly before 1 p.m., she retreats back inside. ○ Afternoon classes at Boarbumps begin, starting with a lecture on the magical circuits of the common toad. If you happen to sit in on this one, as a visitor from another school, you may be asked to assist in the dissection. You will be heckled by the rest of the class as deemed fit. ○ Erinne and Adriel can be seen within the hallways of Boarbumps arguing in a very heated manner. Some... less than choice words are exchanged between the two before one, or both of them take their wands out and begin throwing magic missiles at each other. No one knows why the fight starts, but the two have had bad blood before, and this isn't the first quarrel to happen at Boarbumps between them. A staff member arrives on the scene and is accidentally paralyzed by a misfire. ○ The town proper, surrounding the Red Keep, is open for a farmer's market. A bountiful harvest of goods are on display, but in particular, Thay is known for its amazing quality of medicinal herbs and magical reagants, many of which are rare without travel to the area. The merchants typically shoo students off, unless they have a hall pass provided to them by the faculty to retrieve something of import for class. ○ The second afternoon class at Boarbumps begins. Are you three or four time loops in and in desperate need of a nap? This class, The History of Boarbumps, is for you. You will be treated to a long and droning lecture about how the students attending during Boarbumps' very first semester banded together to stop a particularly plucky troll. Which you'd think would be an interesting tale. It is not. ○ Someone's enchanted several books at the library to begin rattling and shaking from the shelves themselves. All over the racks, spines pop out from their homes and fall to the ground, magically lift up and return to some other, non-Dewey decimal approved locale. Other books begin dancing — yes, you've read this correctly — dancing on the tables. Leon would be going into cardiac arrest at the moment, but it looks like someone's playing a prank in here. Again. This librarian looks far less tilted by this. It must be a somewhat normal afternoon for her. ○ Over in the center of town, music, a single violin playing a mournful tune, begins to play. It's unclear where exactly it's coming from. ○ The third and final afternoon class at Boarbumps — Fighting with Fire — begins. The professor, known to be slightly more unorthodox in her teaching methods, will recruit any Reclaimer who happens to be there to defend themselves from the students' incoming fireball spells. The potency of the fireballs themselves range from the tickle of a candle, to that one time you ate a ghost pepper, to one particularly fiery spell that might actually hurt you. ○ There's a scream in the girls' bathroom on the 3rd floor of Boarbumps. Anyone who enters realizes, very quickly, that no one is actually in there. Apparently, this particular lavatory is haunted. ○ Szass Astrosz dips class to go visit the local shrines within the town of Thay. He's been known to skip class before, so his departure from the halls of Boarbumps is rather nondescript. He spends time there praying quietly to his god. ○ There's a slight catastrophe over in the Town Square. That is to say, a giant spider seems to have escaped from Boarbumps and is terrorizing the vendors, to everyone's surprise. Subdue or dispatch it, it's up to you. ○ There's a scheduled council meeting to take place within the Red Keep, a usual weekly affair where Rainer, Casariel, Onerion, Gromph, and the rest meet to discuss matters of the town. Today's is canceled, as Gromph is called out to take care of the arachnid chaos currently convening around the Town Square. ○ Someone places a standing mirror around the corner of Boarbumps. If you happen to stand in front of it, it doesn't show your reflection — rather, it shows the person that you desire most. The mirror is gone by 5 p.m. ○ Cleanup of whatever damage the spider did is underway. In the meantime, the faculty of Boarbumps and the Hermetic Order of Red Wizards invite the Reclaimers to a small dinner in one of the public meeting rooms at the Red Keep. Every member of the Red Wizards are present, aside from Onerion Wyvernspur and Brian Darling. ○ The shops around the town of Thay begin to close for the evening. People are somewhere between annoyed and blase — the spider escaping was new enough, but weird Magic Things are, as you can imagine, pretty commonplace. ○ Over at The Sleepy Willow, cozy, fluffy pillows are arranged on the floor around a large fireplace. The owners will also serve you dinner, if you decide to skip the meal at The Red Keep. This may be one of the only peaceful moments you have to study everything that you've learned thus far. ○ No matter where you are in Thay, you'll feel the ground rumble underneath your feet. The residents largely pass it off as an earthquake, but will note that they have become much more frequent lately. ○ Towards the latter half of the hour, the rumbling within the school grounds causes several of the animal cages used in Onerion's Wondrous Beasts class to come unfastened as they begin to escape. Shortly thereafter, various beasts of all shapes and sizes are set free and begin running for freedom. None of them seem intent on hurting students, but they look to make an exit out of town in the quickest way possible. ○ Droves of the skeletal undead that are used around town seem to freeze in place, no longer retaining their animation. Whatever they're holding currently falls to the floor. Whatever task they're working on comes to a halt. No one understands why that is, but even the best necromancers around town can't seem to wake them back up. ○ With a sudden loud roar, the ground of the town square suddenly begins to split. People, shops, and everything else begin to drop into the chasm, despite the Red Wizards, and everyone else's, attempts to save them. ○ In the last split second you remember, if you happen to look down in the chasm, you'll notice a pair of bright, glowing eyes. Whatever exactly is down there begins to claw its way to the surface. ○ And then, just as suddenly, your vision turns white, and you're briefly overtaken by dizziness. When the haze clears, you are standing at the entrance to Thay. The sun hangs directly overhead in the sky. You have returned to 12 p.m. 2. OOC: A SPECIAL SHOUTOUT You are welcome to keep track of how your character experiences these time loops as much or as little as you're comfortable with — we'll also be tracking what you all are doing! Our Minato player Kel came up with some extremely snazzy coding if you would like to track how each loop plays out for your character more closely. Thank you, Kel! Of course, this is completely optional. Keep up with as much as you'd like, have fun as you see fit, and we hope you enjoy this mission! blurb code by photosynthesis

Comments

Phoenix | ota

[wrightingwrongs]

[i. logic and trick - any time/any place/any loop]

[As soon as they touch down, Phoenix is getting to work. He has a lot of catching up to do with everyone else, after all.

Throughout the days and loops, you can find Phoenix just about anywhere, with a notebook in hand - scrawling down hastily written notes - mostly about the people in town and throughout Boarbumps. There's a mysterious throughout the town, and that much is clear. Which means it's time for Phoenix to do what he does best and investigate.

Alternatively, you may find him having to justify himself in places to either students or teachers of Boarbumps. You may be able to overhear his cover and help him with it - as the Bureau Academy's newest instructor on Logic and Rhetoric. Why, yes, it is a newer position, why do you ask?]

[ii. court begins - 3 PM/any loop]

[However, one place that Phoenix seems to be consistently at - no matter what loop people are on - is the Fighting with Fire class. As an instructor of the visiting academy, he's naturally one of the ones more likely called upon to help the students with their training. What Boarbumps might not realize is that Phoenix himself is training. With every fireball hurled his way, he brings up a steel round shield - in an attempt to either deflect or mitigate the damage in the particularly nastier cases.

His reflexes aren't perfect, and in the first loop he definitely accidentally makes a bit of a spectacle of himself catching some soot-faced explosions that haven't seemed to do much to hurt him, but have definitely made a mess of his wardrobe. By the fourth loop, though?

He's starting to get the hang of it.]

[iii. turnabout sisters - locked to mia and maya - some time after loop 1]

[By this point, it's obvious that things aren't quite what they seem at Boarbumps - and whatever mystery surrounding the relic here goes deeper than anyone might have thought.

And who better to try and unravel the motives and mysteries than the Wright and Co. Law Offices? After all, they need to get on the same page. And then the real investigation can begin.]

[iv. wildcard]

[If none of those others fit your style, make your own!]

[wrightingwrongs]

[For RNG-related threads. Please don't reply to this comment!]

ii

[motherfucking_ghost]

[Church likes this class, actually. It's really letting him practice his magic in what feels like a practical, controlled way. Apparently he's not the only one! Dude with a shield seems to be around a lot, too.]

Hey, looks like you're getting pretty good at that! That thing doesn't get too hot to handle?

[wrightingwrongs]

Oh! Uh-

[The class is probably winding down now, as Phoenix puts his shield down. It is a little warm to the touch, but-]

It's definitely getting hot, but I made sure to bring some stuff with me from... [How does he say the moon. He just kinda half gestures upwards.]

[But he pulls up his sleeves to show some heavier leather gloves, stuff that would be part of some standard adventuring equipment for one of the more frontline paths.]

I figured they might be useful if I need to actually be swinging around the sword and shield, since I'm not exactly used to them. The shield's definitely getting hot, but these are helping.

[motherfucking_ghost]

So do you even do magic, or are you just like a fighty swordy shieldy guy?

...And is there a 'gun' path, cuz I wanna be that. I wanna be that but also have fire hands. There's a compromise here somewhere, I just know it.

Man, this might not get us closer to whhhhh-uhhh the thing we need, [no need to cause static noises in the middle of class!] but I gotta admit, I'm actually learning. Like a student. Like a nerdy student.

[wrightingwrongs]

If nothing else, it's good practice. I've never really been in a fight so a lot of this is new to me. [It's why he's here taking controlled blasts of fire to the face, after all.]

As for magic... sort of? A lot of it is protective, but I can also, uh, set my sword on fire? And heal people? I'm still getting the hang of being a Paladin.

...I don't know if there's anyone who uses guns, though- [Well, no, he knows Ogata uses guns. But introducing people to Ogata seems... dubious.] Well, no, I know there are a couple who do, but I don't know how their path works. I just got here a few weeks ago, myself.

[motherfucking_ghost]

Oh hey, fellow newbie! [High five, Phaladin!] Ha, honestly you kinda carry yourself like you're old hat at this fantasy land bullshit. I'm a huge fish out of water.

iii

[feytality]

Man..... all this time stuff is giving me a headache. [ huffs. ] Those were my least favorite Steel Samurai episodes --- I got dizzy trying to keep up with all the timeline stuff.

[ this is very relevant to the current situation. ]

[doubledsofjustice]

You're telling me. I thought I was over the migraines...

[Seriously do both of them have to treat this situation like it's not A Huge Deal...

Apparently, yes.]

Nick? Are you keeping up, or are you falling asleep?

[wrightingwrongs]

I'm awake, I'm awake!

[He's, admittedly, a -little- tired, but when isn't he? It's Phoenix.]

I shouldn't be surprised you two are treating this like it's just another day... I'm only just now starting to get the hang of this!

[feytality]

I guess... it just seems normal for things to be weird when you're around, Nick.

[ maya acting like this is some phoenix-induced court weirdness or something. ]

Anyway, there's no time to be snoozing! [ get it, ] We gotta crack the mystery!

[doubledsofjustice]

You know, Maya, you're right. Everything seems fitting now that he's here.

[Mia smiles that cryptic-yet-content smile, like a satisfied cat, as usual.]

And that we do. We have no idea what things may change the longer we're stuck here.

So then: what do we know so far?

i

[snyaiper]

[Ogata has been keeping a bit of an eye on Phoenix. Not because he's concerned for him, or because Maya asked him to, of course. Perhaps it's just a casual interest. Maybe he's hoping for a chance to help the idiot out and win a few points back with Maya. Honestly, even he isn't really sure.

In any case, Phoenix seems like he's keeping himself busy. And like he also might be something of an idiot? Some people seem willing to buy his cover story. But Ogata happens to catch sight of him at one point when the teacher most definitely is not and looks like they're getting pretty annoyed about it.

So here's Ogata, appearing at Phoenix's side quietly, as if he materialized out of nowhere, patting a hand on the taller man's arm.]

Sorry, sir, Wright here has been held back a few years, and he's just a bit embarrassed about it. We're very sorry for troubling you.
[It's a gamble because Ogata is also in the questionable camp of looking too old to be a student but not respectable enough to be an instructor. The man Phoenix had been trying to convince looks skeptical, faintly. And maybe it's all the weapons Ogata has on his person that has him assume "bodyguard." Or maybe it's the placid expression on his face and the words that lack Ogata's usual biting tone. It's a thin veneer, anyone who wanted to could see the sharpness still in his eyes, but it's an act Ogata perfected in his years in the military. People in positions of authority don't generally care to look that deep. They're willing to accept the convenient facade that they're being paid the proper respect. And after a moment of staring the teacher decides he'll take this excuse, and walks off.

As soon as the man's out of earshot, Ogata snaps back into his usual frosty demeanor. Could he have simply backed up Phoenix's lie? Sure. But why would he do that when he could make Phoenix look like an idiot?]

Why are you such a bad liar?
[Hello to you too, Ogata.]

Re: i

[wrightingwrongs]

Hello to you, too. Ogata. [Phoenix appears chargrined, but honestly, he doesn't seem that upset about Ogata bailing him out.]

(Well, at least I'll only look like an idiot for a few hours.)

It's not exactly something I practice, exactly. I don't tend to make a habit of lying if I don't have to. [Why do people always assume he's supposed to be lying??? Is it the fact that he's a lawyer? It is, isn't it.]

[snyaiper]

[If it helps, Ogata doesn't know he's a lawyer. He's just terrible and has no problem with lying.]

Maybe you should practice, then. Lying's a good skill to have just in case you need it.
[He gives Phoenix's arm a patronizing pat before letting him go. And then gives him a skeptical once over before asking;]

Logic and Rhetoric?

[wrightingwrongs]

[Ogata can we talk about you being a lying liar who lies.]

It's not something I like to think I'd get good at, but...
(Unfortunately, he's got a point.)

And what, it makes sense. Don't magic users need to like... say incantations and the like? Speaking skills are important!

[snyaiper]

[Listen he doesn’t actually blatantly lie that much, most of his lies are lying by omission, which barely counts if you ask him.]

No, I understand the need for it. I just don’t understand why you’d be teaching it.

i

[mycrosstobear]

[Wolfwood has been known, in his time, to be content to watch someone fall all over themselves from the sidelines. But his first experience with a mission made it very clear how high the stakes can be. So if he can make this a little easier, he'll do it. With a large internal sigh, but he'll do it.

When he comes up to the group, he's all smiles.] Professor! There you are.

[...shit, what's this guy's name?]

Re: i

[wrightingwrongs]

Ah!

[He turns to the man, a small look of confusion on his face. On one hand, he appears to be bailing him out of his bluff. On the other...]

(I... don't know this guy's name!)

Did you need something, mister...? [He makes a small show of snapping his fingers, like the name is on the tip of his tongue. Even though it most definitely isn't.]

[mycrosstobear]

Wolfwood. Not sure we've seen each other since your orientation. [Of course someone in a new position won't know all the names yet!

...actually that's just true. This guy is part of the newest group, right?]

One of your students was looking for you.

[wrightingwrongs]

Ah, yes. Mr. Wolfwood! Thank you for letting me know. If you could lead the way, I'd appreciate it. [He takes the lifeline he's been thrown pretty naturally, at the very least.]

[He turns to the Thay instructor he'd been talking to.] Apologies, duty calls, looks like we'll have to talk some other time. [Before the Thay instructor can really get a follow-up word in edgewise, Phoenix is already making sure him and Wolfwood are walking off in search of this 'student'. Only for him to drop his voice when they're clear.]

Whoof, thanks for the save. I didn't think they'd get so pushy. [He sounds exasperated.]

ii

[bu773rfly]

[Huh. Here again? Glutton for punishment.

Not that Erika can judge him, because she, too, decided to come back to this class of her own volition on a later loop, despite attending the first time and seeming satisfied with it at that point. Despite, in her case, that on any of the loops she's spent playing at being a student, she hasn't seemed to mesh well with her peers to begin with. Even right now, with the room blocked off into groups of spectators - a Boarbumps student nudges Erika's arm, says something to her. She takes a step away. He frowns, looking bewildered. She replies without looking at him, and his bewilderment doesn't fade, until he steps away and the conversation is clearly over and he mutters something to another Boarbumps student and they both cast odd glances at Erika.

Things like that just happen sometimes.

If Erika catches Phoenix's eye before she's called on for the same exercise, she nods knowingly at him. She's pretty certain that she understands what he's up to, and it's a good idea. Once she is called on, there's no time for that. Her familiar wings towards the ceiling, and Erika makes herself into a target, hooded and solemn. She dodges some physically. Most pass through her; she turns hazy before they strike, silhouette swimming like static or the flashing patterns of hundreds of butterflies, and they leave soot marks on the ground behind her. All rather unexceptional stuff.

Until at some point the student trying to hit her throws his fireball wide - not wide enough to be dangerous, but a few people step back quickly anyways - and swivels in place, suddenly alarmed. What was that? he demands, and looks to other faces and finds confusion. Erika's brows are furrowed. Were you doing that?

It's kicking up a bit of a commotion. He accuses her of cheating. It's not serious in and of itself, but it sets off one of those subtle shifts in the atmosphere, heads turning and wordless sentiment bouncing from pair of eyes to pair of eyes. The professor steps in. Defense is defense, she explains, whether it's a physical shield or telepathic distractions, let this be a perfect example to learn from -

Not that this does anything to sway the invisible tide of opinion.

Erika seems unconcerned, or some other flavor of silent and unreactive. She stares thoughtfully at the ground somewhere near the feet of her exercise partner, brows slightly crinkled, avoiding all eye contact.]

[wrightingwrongs]

[By the time Erika has managed to catch Phoenix's attention, he's already blocked a fair few fireballs with his shield. He's dodged a few as he's ducked and weaved his way through practice. His reflexes still aren't perfect, but spending as much time here as he can has allowed him some measure of basic combat training versus the most ubiquitous of magic spells.

His shield lowers as Erika's telepathic distraction causes a commotion, students looking back and forth between them as they contemplate Erika's actions, As the teacher speaks up, Phoenix goes to back them up - masquerading as an instructor, he's of course free to give his opinion.]

That's right. A lot of the people you'll encounter outside of these walls might have different talents than you. [It's pretty blatantly a defense of Erika, and it causes the students no small amount of eye-rolling.] You won't always know how they'll attempt to counteract you, and being identified as someone with magical talents means you're a higher priority to distract - or disrupt - than someone charging directly into the fray.

If you're going to be throwing magical spells like this, you need to be able to focus on your target and be able to deal with any sort of defenses - passive or active, magical or material - that you may come across.

[His rhetoric is pretty simple, and it probably does little to convince the student who Erika provoked, but it does seem a fair number of the students are mollified by this approach to the lesson. A few are talking among themselves, saying that the Bureau's instructor is right - a few of them relating dirty tricks they'd use in their own duels.

Eventually, the instructor does manage to get things back on track, and the next suite of students line up for their turn against the volunteer firing line, with Phoenix standing with his shield next to Erika, a half-whisper crossing the divide between them.]

Sorry, figured I would jump in. Force of habit.

[bu773rfly]

[The attention on her doesn't fade, but it keeps shifting. First, curiosity orbiting discontent. Then a shared joke; now a mix of intrigue and dismissal. There's a few faces that want to have a go at her, for one reason or another. It's a very weird experience. If her hood weren't already up, she'd want to tug it over her head, but it is, so she doesn't.

Mm, she says, continuing to look preoccupied. But only look, apparently, because she does answer, in a matching half-whisper:]

You were right. [ie no need to apologize for saying something true. She shakes her head minutely and glances down the line.] But I'm about to make a break for it, so things might get difficult for you.


[he deserved a warning probably.]

[wrightingwrongs]

You're about to - what?

[It's clear that he may have understood exactly what Erika said, but exactly how she's going to do what she's about to do is made even more confusing by their 'volunteer' position. The students haven't quite gotten ready yet, so they have a few spare moments, but.]

Should I, uh, be worried? [This sounds like it's about to cause trouble.]