The Magic Gathering - RPLOG
Participants
Date
16/8/477
Log
What a grand spectacle. The stands in the tournament grounds have been redecorated. One side lined in blue with the Good King's insignia and the other side lined with the Cliffside crest in red, clearly for supporters of either side. Though, the blue stand is much more populous. A home ground advantage. The field seems to have many tasks and obstacles already setup. There is a Cliffside mage blocking the entrance to the Sweetwater participants section, waiting for more...suitable participants to arrive. Those arriving soon would see a bunch of dejected, and slightly singed beings trodding off.
Thelergramor walks slowly onto the tournament grounds; masked as he usually is. Moving slow, cracked rib forcing him to take it easy. Shouldn't affect his magical proficiency, but seeing the slightly singed beings doesn't fill him with confidence in his ability to avoid further injury. He steps up to the cliffside mage, doesn't speak, just waits for him to say what needs to be said.
:creepy face thel.
A fierce wind blows through the contestants' tunnel, kicking up a cloud of dust and debris, and behind it follows...a strange, wall-eyed grey Horse, an apparent look of awe in her mismatched eyes as she scans the crowd with her skyward one. Unlike most of the other contestants, clad in their robes and finery, Dupree is dressed in...a jester's costume? Yes, a jester's costume, with tiny bells that tinkle merrily as the echoes of wind that forever wreathe her blow through them.
Cassidy drops out of the sky, as she usually does, landing with a soft patter of paws on ground, and brushing her black skirt off with the white gloved hands. "Hello! Glad I wasn't late. I'd hate to miss the chance to give a display of magic!"
Natska makes her way up next to Cassidy, walking in behind Dupree. She gives the gathering mages a cuious look, although Cass receives a small, happy smile. Finally, the jaguar's attention lands on the Cliffside mage weeding out the entrants, and she tips her hat towards them.
Aiden makes his way up with the group, the slightly tubby English Shepherd dressed in his finest clothing today... Mainly consisting of a pair of black pants with a streak of silver down the sides, a pink silk shirt, and a black wide brimmed hat with a giant white feather in it! "Ah! Good day and salutations yes! Aiden Brightenburg for the competitions~"
Fenris saunters onto the field, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his long coat. He finds his way to the group of Sweetwater magicians and gives a loose little salute in greeting. "Am I too late for the fun?" he asks.
Selena yawns, mobing through over to the tournament grounds quietly, flyer in hand. Aparrently, she'd seen fit to show up as well, setting herself down by the ordinator aparrently testing the entrants. "Well. It's interesting to see you here." she comments offhandedly to the Cliffsider. "Though I'm curious what prompted today's event. I don't recall the last tiem a group of Cliffsiders came by here for friendly reasons. I'll probably see who's here before I jump in and participate."
"Ah, Selena. We've heard quite a bit about your...exploits and forays into three dimensional magic. You are perhaps one of the most outstanding graduates of our academy. And...I think I know you as well. Aiden, was it? You had quite the appetite in school. And of course. I've had to deal with your mother more than once, Natska. Always demanding so much from her poor little girl." The mage studies the others for a bit. "The three of you may enter. Such a simple test won't defeat you two. Go pick a signet ring to represent the school of magic you wish to play in. As for the rest of you..." He pulls out some cubes from his sack and hands them about to the other players. "Your signet ring is locked inside this puzzle box." The box has five gems, clearly color coded to the five schools of magic. "Prove your magic prowess to it. You'll need to cast a spell strong enough...but too much and the cube will break..."
Thelergramor blinks behind his mask as he's given the box. The mage had the gall to question his ability? Probably right... "So Cliffside trained mages get special treatment? Pfft. It makes no difference." It does; the wolf now hates this jackass. Not hard to tell from his tone. Looking to the gem that is color coded for dark math, Thel attempts to use magic of sufficient but not too much strength to open it. And...nothing happens. At all. Complete and utter failure. The wolf blinks... considers trying again... assuming that mage lets him.
Dupree accepts her cube--"Oh! Thank you, mister mage!"--and immediately forgets about it, her eyes seeming to shift as she calls into being...a small thundercloud? As the cloud hangs there, she drops the block and talks to the cloud. It seems to listen, murmuring thunderously in response...
ZAP!
A searing white light strikes the box, cracking it open handily.
"Ooh, pretty!" Dupree coos as she withdraws the ring, slippng it a finger on and admiring it vainly, like a filly with new ribbons in her mane.
Cassidy glances at Natska and tilts her head. "Oh? You have ties to the academy?" She takes her box and gives an annoyed look to the entryman from behind her mask, a little bothered at having to go through such a trifling hoop, and vaguely considering trying to torch him on the spot for the nerve before deciding that'd be rude, and deciding to just deal with the box anyway, intent on lighting up at least two of the gems. "It's an assurance, Thel. People go there when they need help learning how to do magic, and graduating shows that they got their help."
Natska's ears flatten for a moment, her shoulders slumping just a little before she gives the Cliffside magister a deeper nod, fingers coming to the brim of her hat. "You must have an excellent memory sir, I am honored you remember us. I suppose jaguars are not that common there, either..." She gives Cassidy's hand an encouraging squeeze, adds a small, bashful smile, then steps past the magister to wait for her beloved. "Mother was from there," she explains to Cass after the fennec passes the check. "It is part of why they chose to move to Stoneyfield."
Aiden pokes his fingers together as he looks to his gut for a moment before nodding and shuffling past. "Yes sir, thank you sir..." Moving to the signets as he goes to pick signat rings for Air Magic, Fire Magic, and Earth Magic, before stepping off to the side and gently muttering to herself as he waits for the others to make their way up.
Fenris smiles and takes the little puzzle box, examining it with a discerning eye. "Beautiful craftsmanship," he says looking over the math and craftman's marks, "Is this Professe Windmane's work? Hester always does such clean spelcraft!" The tiger places his hand lightly on the box and closes his eyes. For a moment, nothing happens, then, gradually all five gems begin to glow softly and the box opens with a click. Nothing fancy, just efficient application of mathemagic. "There!" he says, fishing out his signet with a smile, "I will compete in both fire and air magic. Please compliment Hester on the lovely puzzle boxes!" He thinks for a moment. "Actually," he says, smiling at the cliffside arbiter, "May I keep it?"
Selena tsks. "Your academy specifically? I don't recall seeing you in any of the classes, courses, or as a staff member from my time in an Academy." She raises an eyebrow, looking back over to Aiden as the dog moves over to the 'selection' area. "Hm. You don't say? I'm not going to lie, but that's fairly impressive." she comments, before tilting her head a bit. "And you as well, Natska? Your family must've done something quite impressive to be remembered afterwards." the wolfess muses, before sighing quietly and taking a signet for earth magic, looking back over to the others. "... Hmm. You might not guess it, but I never cared much for combat magic." she sighs, before picking up a water signet as well. "Or the theatrical. I'm sure you have enough beings from Sweetwater competing in fire and air magic already, anyway."
"Yes, you may." The entrance tester smiles. "I'll pass on your compliments to Professe Windmane." Now that everyone has their signet except poor Thel...whom the mage leans back and laughs loudly at, he motions the way to the participant waiting ground. "You can try again, wolf. Though have a little more respect for our tests. Quickly now, the first round is starting. Fire and earth, I think it was."
Inside, the three who've already passed the test are told the same news by a magewolf, that Fire and Earth will be the competitors for the next scene.
"Fire mages and earth mages separate please. Earth mages enter the arena first. You'll need to build the strongest wall you've ever built. Doesn't have to be too large, just as durable as you can make it." The wolf inside explains, loud enough for those entering to hear.
Thelergramor glares at the mage, shrugs. "Up yours... I'll open the box when I'm damn well ready." The wolf focuses past his injuries, ignoring the pain from his ribs and other wounds. With no motion at all, Thel reattempts to open the box. It opens, a slight dark glow the only evidence any magic was used. The wolf takes the signet, laughing, then coughing. Proceeds to hold it up, triumphant. Will make any future failures more... humorous, perhap.
Dupree claps her hands wildly at Thelergramor. "Yaaaaaaaay! Good job! Aren't they pretty? I got two!" At that, she scoots closer to Thel, a gentle breeze blowing on him as she does. She waves around her hand with the fire and wind rings at him while peering at his ring with the skyward eye. "Oooh, what's that one? It doesn't look like wind. I like wind the best!" she enthuses to the battle-scarred Wolf.
Cassidy takes both her air and fire signets before smiling at Natska under her mask. "I see! I've been meaning to get out to Cliffside sometime so I can see their fancy academy for myself, and see if it's all it's cracked up to be." Since fire magic was up before air, she decides to move in with the fire mages as her first order of business. "Well, I guess we'll see how this goes, won't we? Good luck in your tests, Natska!"
Natska ponders a moment, collecting tokens for fire, air, and water. Then she follows after Cass, taking her hat in her hand and stroking a finger along the feather in the hat band before she settles it back on her head and gives the fennec a nod. "Yes! We will add it to our list of places to visit," she agrees, tail swishing.
Aiden eeps slightly and hurries his way into line for the Earth Magic, his tail wagging nervously as he looks around while in the line, before finally being ushered into the area for the test. Closing his eyes he takes a deep breath and tries to focus, reaching his Earth Math out to try and grip the harder stones and hopefully even a few pieces or ore or metal if they were present, before attempting to rush them all up in as high of a wall as he could manage, with the harder portions forming a shell around it hopefully!
Fenris nods and tucks the little puzzle box into a pocket deep in his coat and slips his two chosen rigns onto fingers, then hesitates. "Don't suppose I could try my hands at all 5?" he asks. Without waiting for an answer, he collects the other three ring and saunters out to the earth examination field and sets himself to raising a wall. Too bad that he rushed. His earth magic is effective, raising a wall of earth and stone from the turf of the tourney field, but it is not what it could be, more of an improvised battle magic than anything built to last. The tiger laughs and waves off his feeble performance. "Jack of all trades and master of none," he says with a smirk, chiding himself for throwing his hat into the ring at the last minute.
Selena tsks quietly as she moves over to the section of the field she was directed to, beginning to raise her own wall - focussing on reinforcing the structure moreso than making it large; curving it slightly around the area was standing, though some things are difficult to pre-prepare for, and she did know most of the beings that would be testing their fire magic against the walls. It takes her a little while longer to actually be satisfied with her results, though when she is she takes a half-step back. "Mm. I thought we were competing in our areas of expertise rather than just all of them?" she comments back to Fenris, shrugging a little. "I suppose I could branch out, but I don't see the need to. I've already shown what my battle magic can do before, and I think the people here want something a bit prettier."
"Mmh. Alright, fire mages! Your objective is much simpler than the earth mages. Destroy the opposing team's wall using fire spells!" The wolf in the Sweetwater side notions to the field and the respectable earthern wall shielding the other side. "Keep control of yourselves though. I do not wish to see the crowd get hurt, and that will disqualify and forfeit you. Unfortunately for our heroes...it seems that one mage enlisting in multiple categories has some side effects. There appear to be three earth mages managing the wall...and four fire mages readying spells. Seems like Fenris and Aiden have been counted as duplicates! After all, the net number of rings are the same. The four Cliffside participants who will be spellslinging bow politely. "We'll start when you do." They acknowledge the difference in raw number by letting Sweetwater take the first potshots. Those entering the field now will feel a rather dark, chilling feeling pass through their forms. Much like as though they had eaten something wrong, stomachs swirling and feeling rather upset. Foul play, but who could prove it? Thel's ring glows a little brighter-darker, if he notices.
Thelergramor rubs at his mask as Dupree speaks to him. Holds the ring in his left hand, bandaged arm visible wear his coat was torn. "No, dark magic. Not wind." Not seeing much else to be said, Thel moves to get a better look at the earth and fire magic contests. Can sense dark magic being used, but, nothing specific. Assumes it was a lingering effect from what he did to open the box.
"Dark magic? Oh." Dupree's face droops, the winds around her turning a bit chilly. "That sounds...dark." She smiles again, though. "Well, I hope we have fun---urgh!"
Dupree suddenly doubles over, feeling uncomfortable for a moment--she hadn't felt like this since the Inn gave her that fuzzy muffin that one time! The worst of the cramps subsides, but a feeling of unwellness lingers. At the call of the head mages, she takes aim and releases a bolt of lightning at one of the mounds of earth opposite her, though the ache feels like it's throwing her off...
