Anno Castra -- Chapter 5?

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Zamrud 6/5 [M. Puros Profesor] 01/22/24 (Mon) 03:31:18 No.765822

>>765818
>>765820
Zamrud quickly takes the offered seat that Godspeed provides, more than happy to sit next to the school nurse. As Tiger Mask shows himself, Zamrud raises an eyebrow at the shadowy student before he gestures back to Qhapaq.

"The masked figure from your dreams? This is he? I feel like I might have missed something important…"

Qhapaq (M. Griffon Knight) 01/22/24 (Mon) 03:46:29 No.765823

>>765820
Qhapaq is happy to eat fish for himself, but he wouldn't get fish for any of the other party members aside from Zamrud.

>>765821
"Could I perhaps hold it, if possible? I do not fully understand."

>>765822
>>765820
"The Shadow followed me throughout the school, and I began to wonder if it was something more than a normal student. We met in the gym and practiced several times, and then underwent a… trial, of sorts. Dodge-Ball, it is called? Regardless- when he was defeated, I was able to place his mask on and experience… something. A vision, or a memory, of times before. The mask is still shadowed; I think there is more I must discover of what it has to show me. I neglected to place it on again, as Tiger Mask was… concerned, for my well-being."

Principal AutuDMn 01/22/24 (Mon) 03:57:39 No.765824

>>765822
>>765823
Tiger Mask shrugs. You can't see their facial expression, but it's clear from their gestures and their general inability to speak that the language barrier is starting to frustrate them.

>>765822
Godspeed double-takes at your bandaged claw, and leans in. "What happened there, professor?"

>>765821
Given that the rat appears to lack the cheek pouch space for all its gathered food, it perches over the excess protectively. Doesn't look like it plans to go anywhere anytime soon.

Good Intentions (M, Thaumaturge 7/6 01/22/24 (Mon) 03:58:24 No.765825

>>765824
>>765823
"Very well," he let the magic fade and rested his head on the table.

Zamrud 6/5 [M. Puros Profesor] 01/22/24 (Mon) 04:02:46 No.765826

>>765823
>>765824
Zamrud looks at Tiger Mask as Qhapaq finishes explaining, to which Zamrud rubs his chin in curiosity. "Fascinating… I wonder, did the Tree of Evil simply manifest this shadow as a representation of your dream into the form of a student, or could this indeed be the real masked individual that's been haunting them so long?"

He pauses, "In either case, I assume this is a sign that whoever or whatever was stalking your dreams was more benevolent than we suspected?"

>>765824
As Godspeed notices his claw, Zamrud can't help but blush, "Ah… something stupid, I assure you it's nothing to worry about. Just… need to be more careful where I stick my claws from now on." He says, embarrassed by the idea of telling Godspeed he tried to use his claw to pick a lock.

Qhapaq (M. Griffon Knight) 01/22/24 (Mon) 04:05:04 No.765827

>>765826
"I think it is the real Masked Individual; a spirit, of sorts. He does not mean me harm I think, as he shook me out of a… ah, seizure. I want to understand more of the visions, and I want to better understand him."

Billy[7/6 M. Knight] 01/22/24 (Mon) 04:08:44 No.765828

>>765824
"Much simpler than I had imagined." Billy tilted his head.

Principal AutuDMn 01/22/24 (Mon) 04:19:13 No.765829

>>765825
The rat remains nearby. Trajan crawls out from his usual armored compartment within your suit, which does put the rat on alarm. However, the two seem to come to an understanding, or agreement, and no confrontation occurs.

>>765826
"Where you stick your what!?" Godspeed gasps. Perhaps your vague description left her with a much more dire interpretation of events.

>>765826
>>765827
>>765828
Tiger Mask does a little rapid-fire series of finger-gun shots as you surmise their nature, role and past interactions with Qhapaq.

Peyote bows his head slightly to Tiger Mask. "You honor us with your presence, spirit. Please, forgive us any discourtesy that arises from our… difficulties communicating."

Tiger Mask shrugs again, evidently finding Peyote's formality to be a bit foreign, but nods.

Zamrud 6/5 [M. Puros Profesor] 01/22/24 (Mon) 04:23:26 No.765830

>>765827
>>765829
Zamrud nods in understanding. "I see… does your tribe mention anything like this? A spirit guide of sorts aiding you in some way or another through your dreams? It's clear as day to anyone now he's quite real but I'm afraid how or why he's come about of your psyche eludes me."

>>765829
As Godspeed gasps, Zamrud's eyes bolt opening, realizing how what he said may have been misinterpreted. "Ah! N-no, you misunderstand, it was nothing so untoward. Well… perhaps it was, but, not in that way."

He clears his throat, "I… stuck my claw in a locked door. Trying to open it. It… didn't quite work out as well as I'd imagined."

Billy[7/6 M. Knight] 01/22/24 (Mon) 04:23:37 No.765831

>>765829
"Do we need to find more creatures or people like these two?" Billy gestures to tiger mask and the rodent. "They are certainly the most unique we have found in our journeys in here."

Good Intentions (M, Thaumaturge 7/6 01/22/24 (Mon) 04:30:57 No.765832

>>765829
Good smiled "Ah good, glad to see you making friends, my tiny companion."

Qhapaq (M. Griffon Knight) 01/22/24 (Mon) 04:33:39 No.765833

>>765829
Qhapaq smiles a bit, nodding his head a little.

>>765830
"They do. They normally appear to shaman, though rarely. They appear to others who have set themselves upon something important. They are considered a portent of hardship or tragedy, and are often regarded as a bad sign… though, I do wonder if they appear to help you through such hardship. I believe he does not mean me harm."

Principal AutuDMn 01/22/24 (Mon) 04:42:28 No.765834

>>765830
Godspeed's shock quickly shifts to intrigue as you bring up the locked door. She scans the room with an experienced intensity, appraising all she can see.

"What door?" she whispers. "Or, perhaps… whose door?"

>>765831
>>765832
>>765833
>>765830
The bell rings once more, all too soon, and those students who have not yet finished their dinner start wrapping it up. You aren't under a strict curfew, per se, so you could stay up awhile yet to trade information before going to sleep.

>timeskip available to midterms when desired, no obligation to rush or curtail RP

Qhapaq (M. Griffon Knight) 01/22/24 (Mon) 05:05:21 No.765835

>>765834
"Is everyone ably prepared for midterms? I think I have studied a good deal, though I would like to make sure I have everything I need… and, ah- do we need to share anything else? I would not mind staying here to talk."

Billy[7/6 M. Knight] 02/04/24 (Sun) 21:54:45 No.765907

>>765834
>>765835
"I am never ready for test." Billy grumbles burying his face under his arms. "I can only do the best I can with what we have done."

Qhapaq (M. Griffon Knight) 02/05/24 (Mon) 01:06:31 No.765908

>>765907
"Mmm. I think I feel okay for tests. I have managed everything else alright so far."

Zamrud 6/5 [M. Puros Profesor] 02/05/24 (Mon) 01:11:01 No.765909

>>765833
"A warning of hardship or tragedy, hmm?" Zamrud asks as he rubs his chin. "I have faith in your instincts if you think he does not mean us any harm, but still that doesn't bode well for what's to come of us, I don't think."

>>765834
As Godspeed asks him what, or whose, door, Zamrud sighs. "Truth's. I had my suspicions… and perhaps I still do… but it's quite clear my attempts at espionage lead much to be desired. I was caught literally red-handed in the act."

Anonymous 02/05/24 (Mon) 01:36:56 No.765910

>>765909
"Ah-ha," Godspeed says, and her expression shifts from intrigue, to one of snide amusement. She silently traces her eyes over the entire length of your body. She whips out her phone, and taps at it with the tip of her hoof a few times. Then, she puts it away.

"You're certainly a lot quicker to act on suspicion than I am, at least," Godspeed continues. "There's something positive to be said about that. But, even though she caught you, it doesn't look like 'Professor Truth' stuck you with any tracking or listening devices in retaliation. So tell me, what *did* happen afterward?"

You recall Truth's exhortation not to mention the term 'Alter'…

>>765835
>>765907
Peyote clears his throat. "I'm given to understand that the tests of the so-called 'Old World' societies were primarily done against paper, and the words written upon them. Blegh. Dread and misery. Too much is lost when you flatten your skills to that which can simply be written!"

He realizes himself. "Ah… not to bring the mood down. Even further than it was, that is."

Billy[7/6 M. Knight] 02/05/24 (Mon) 01:39:28 No.765911

>>765910
"ehh, it is not writing that I am worried about, since you know." Billy flexes out both of his clawed digits.

Zamrud 6/5 [M. Puros Profesor] 02/05/24 (Mon) 02:00:19 No.765912

>>765910
Zamrud looks at Godspeed as he is scanned, blinking in surprise. "That was a quick examination. You're able to say with confidence she did not bug me in return?"

Remembering Truth's words, and obliging to honor them, he gives Godspeed a brief explanation. "After she caught me breaking in, I explained my reasons for doing so - she seemed to have a journal that she was trying to hide earlier, and I inquired her about it. It turns out, it was simply a copy of Kirk's journal, nothing so worth the break-in as I had hoped. Though, she did give me some useful information in the aftermath."

He produces the lock-picking kit she gave him, "First, she gave me this to improve any future attempts at breaking and entering. She really was a good sport about it all, as it seems… but beyond that, the second thing is that she does have a means of communicating outside of Agape Academy, she's able to send messages and even receive packages via drones."

Zamrud 6/5 [M. Puros Profesor] 02/05/24 (Mon) 02:04:29 No.765913

>>765912
[1d10+1] Perception

Roll #1 7 + 1 = 8

Principal AutuDMn 02/05/24 (Mon) 02:24:21 No.765914

>>765913
>>765912
"I was able to move a number of programs from my magicomp to this miserable little rectangle," Godspeed says. "It would have picked up on trackers, had you been stuck with any. So, I am fairly confident in our safety to speak openly here."

She ponders your words, returning to a blank poker face. Your mention of a "copy" of the notebook evokes only the faintest twitch of an eyebrow, suppressed as quickly as it happened. Then, as you end on the mention of her capacity for outside communication, she expresses a more open curiosity. "Now that is something," Godspeed admits. "The Tree's influence disrupts certain signals from entering or exiting its radius of influence. If nothing else, it blocks radio waves… But, we've seen that light still can enter and leave. Perhaps magical energy can escape…?"

Zamrud 6/5 [M. Puros Profesor] 02/05/24 (Mon) 02:32:59 No.765915

>>765914
"I may be mistaken but she made it sound more manual than that. It's a delivery drone pre-programmed to leave and return to this exact location with anything it's able to carry, be that a message or supplies. I'm not quite sure how much the time-dilation slows it down but I took some solace in knowing, even if we should fail to escape, we'd be able to send something back to our Castles for them to analyze, or at the minimum warn them to stay as far from the Tree as possible."

"She said if anything comes to mind to send out of Agape Academy to bring it to her, but we should try to send out as much at once, given how much a single drone can carry and how long it takes it to be sent out and then return. I'm struggling to think of what we might send along, there's Kirk's Journal but I have a feeling we'll be needing it sooner or later on our end."

Qhapaq (M. Griffon Knight) 02/05/24 (Mon) 02:55:57 No.765916

>>765910
"Mmm… I do not like writing as much- my hands are very large, and the pencils here are small. But, I will do my best." He comments, before rubbing Peyote's back gently. "Mm- you did not bring the mood down- you merely made a comment. Do not worry, friend."

Principal AutuDMn 02/05/24 (Mon) 03:01:08 No.765917

>>765915
"Just a delivery drone, hmm…? How… well, I'm not sure if I'd call that retro or futuristic in comparison to Ironcastle's standard of exploration gear," Godspeed says. She almost looks disappointed in the mundane nature of the communication. "Hmm. Can't think of anything I'd send back– and I'll have you know I'm boycotting Rainforest as well, so no deliveries for me."

After a moment to think, she adds one more thing. "Ah, but… if anything… strange comes from Truth… do keep me in the loop."

>>765916
>>765911
"Pencil…?" Peyote repeats. "Wh– do you not just use your feathers?"

Peyote preens a loose and old feather off of Qhapaq's wing, and furnishes an inkpot. "Try that. A bit more permanent than graphite, but more comfortable, at least, yes?"

Billy[7/6 M. Knight] 02/05/24 (Mon) 03:03:20 No.765918

>>765917
"Oh, that is quite nifty having something to write with on you at all times." Billy tilts his head in thought.

Zamrud 6/5 [M. Puros Profesor] 02/05/24 (Mon) 03:04:54 No.765919

>>765917
"Like I said, it's fairly manual… but if it works, it works. It's the only reliable means of reaching outside of this Academy I've found."

As she asks him to keep her in the loop, he nods. "Of course. I still have more than a few suspicions regarding Truth but it's evident I'm going to need to be far more careful in how I go about confirming them."

"One more tip she offered me, if you haven't already - check your closet or storage units, it seems some of our equipment may have made it in here with us."

Good Intentions (M, Thaumaturge 7/6 02/05/24 (Mon) 03:08:40 No.765920

>>765913
>>765834
Seeing things were ending, Good opted to take the rat like creature if nobody else was, taking him back to his quarters to study when he wasn't studying for his mid terms diving headlong into a grind to keep moving forward.

Qhapaq (M. Griffon Knight) 02/05/24 (Mon) 03:10:30 No.765921

>>765917
"Mmm… this is much more comfortable, yes." He comments, looking at his feather curiously. He dips it in the ink and prods at… shuffling around, he finds himself a piece of paper to try it on.

Principal AutuDMn 02/05/24 (Mon) 03:30:13 No.765922

>>765918
>>765921
MASSIVE improvement, to say the least. The key disadvantage is not being able to correct mistakes as easily… but perhaps erasers are for cowards. With a little preening, Qhapaq could distribute these to his allies, if he were so inclined.

>Quill Pen obtained
>During Tests, apply this item to attacks (before roll) to deal +2 damage on successful hits, at the cost of taking +1 damage in the event of a failed roll

>>765920
The little shadow-rodent buddy is insatiably curious, almost to the point of disrupting your studies. When not actively held or penned in somewhere, he pokes about your room. He doesn't significantly damage or dis-organize your belongings. But, he does want to inspect just about everything. He's curious, and thorough, even more than a normal rodent.

One thing you notice. Any of the stuff in your dorm that you may have rearranged, or put back in a different place when you originally found it – the shadow-rodent seems a little disturbed by that. With a little strength, the rodent tends to muscle the disrupted things back into place, toward where they were before. But some things are also too heavy for him to move.

>>765919
"Right," Godspeed says. "I found my things were all in order when I got here. How curious… it was all removed from me when I first fell unconscious at the boundary of the Tree's influence, yet it was all neatly organized and put away in my dorm when I awoke, not an iota of it missing."

She taps her chin, as if just now thinking of something overlooked earlier. "Right there, next to extra sets of lab coats, an ID card, and just about everything else I'd need to play the role of a school nurse. Even before Kirk disappeared into the Tree, it seemed as if the Tree itself had some sense of… well, almost like a sense of conscientiousness in how it wanted to run the school… remarkable for a plant, don't you think?"

Billy[7/6 M. Knight] 02/05/24 (Mon) 03:33:19 No.765923

>>765922
"Thank you kindly, I appreciate it quite a bit." Billy beams with his newly acquired pen.

Good Intentions (M, Thaumaturge 7/6 02/05/24 (Mon) 03:38:20 No.765924

>>765922
Good hummed, wondering if perhaps this was a janitor of sorts that the tree made? Something to keep things in order? During one of his periods of free time, he took a piece of paper, drawing a simple pattern on it, then cutting it into 9 identical sized pieces, as a puzzle of sorts, and scattered it on the floor for the rodent, curious.

Zamrud 6/5 [M. Puros Profesor] 02/05/24 (Mon) 03:39:42 No.765925

>>765922
"The roles I think I can understand. I assume the Tree holds memory of the *real* Agape Academy as it existed in the past, and it's picking us out to fill the roles it remembers on, what I assume to be, our personalities."

"But why leave us with our effects? Lockpicks, semblances of our real lives, weapons? Regardless of how tightly the simulation is run, that seems dangerous to leave us with our equipment. Even if the Tree is incapable of getting rid of it, why put it in a place we could easily find it instead of somewhere more secure?"

He sighs, "This Tree has many mysteries, and I doubt we'll be solving them all in one night. I think I've had enough excitement for one evening, and I still have papers to grade. I intend to finish dinner and grab some sleep."

Qhapaq (M. Griffon Knight) 02/05/24 (Mon) 03:40:35 No.765926

>>765922
Qhapaq ruffles his wings a little bit and tucks the quill away for later, before looking to the others. "If you would like one, I could share." He remarks.

>>765923
Billy receives a Quill Pen!

>>765925
"Perhaps there is a limit, or we… hrm. Would have need of it, somehow?"

Principal AutuDMn 02/05/24 (Mon) 04:00:21 No.765927

>>765923
>>765926
>>765925
"I… don't know," Godspeed says, to Zamrud's question. "But, Agape Academy didn't seem like a very conventional school to begin with. The First and Second Enlightenment encouraged backstabbing, scheming, sabotage and even theft as a way for students to secure their place in the end-of-the-year battle royale. Assuming this is an accurate representation of how the school actually operated during the Time Long Forgotten, it's a far cry from how schools are run now– at least, compared to Zinccastle. I don't know, is there anything so cutthroat in Ironcastle?"

Higher education in Ironcastle is often a fraught topic, depending on one's social Stratum and financial means… even more so if one is visibly a Mutant. However, the schools themselves are not half as strange as Agape Academy, as you know.

>>765924
Within seconds, the rodent sorts the scraps of paper, gingerly overlaying the frayed edges of each tear so as to hide the damage as much as possible.

Qhapaq (M. Griffon Knight) 02/05/24 (Mon) 04:04:21 No.765928

>>765927
"A… Battle Royale?" Qhapaq cocks his head to the side. "I must admit I have no knowledge of schooling in Castles or… here. Beyond what I have now seen or been told."

Billy[7/6 M. Knight] 02/05/24 (Mon) 04:04:37 No.765929

>>765927
"I can't say I have been to such a place, though I believe that everyone agrees that this school is different in the extreme." Billy gestures to his communication device. "They had these after all."

Zamrud 6/5 [M. Puros Profesor] 02/05/24 (Mon) 04:07:25 No.765930

>>765927
>>765926
Zamrud shakes his head, "Ah, no, it's not exactly acceptable in IronCastle either. I'll admit there is some tension between Stratums and class, and visible mutations are particularly at risk, but Agape Academy is singular in its aggressive spirit of competition."

He turns to look at Qhapaq, and shakes his head. "I'm sure we'll have need of our equipment eventually, but I fail to see how that benefits the Tree itself in anyway. Were it me, I'd have hidden all of it as best I could."

Good Intentions (M, Thaumaturge 7/6 02/05/24 (Mon) 04:22:04 No.765931

>>765927
"I wonder if I could train you to do my questions…" he took a piece of homework, filling in the answers wrong, then setting that and the pencil on the floor, curious.

Principal AutuDMn 02/05/24 (Mon) 04:25:54 No.765932

>>765928
"Oh," Godspeed says with some surprise. "Nobody caught you up on how Agape Academy operates? There is a… frankly, a rather verbose and self-congratulatory explanation in the student handbook."

"Or I can just jot down the bullet points," Peyote offers.

>>765929
"Tch, right," Godspeed says, looking at her rectangle of misery. "'Smart' phones, I believe they are called. Clearly designed for use only by fingers small enough to hit their tiny digital keyboards and icons– certainly not for use by hooves!"

Somewhere, somehow, Ride or Die nods in frustration solidarity with Godspeed.

"I only use mine to help me remain in-character," Godspeed continues. "Though I've half a mind to go back to the classic bulky Zinccastle tech I know and love."

>>765930
>>765929
>>765928
"Then," Godspeed continues. "For a school as strange and aggressive as this one, arms and armor might not be so strange for students and faculty to have. Immoral or dangerous? Perhaps. But certainly in line with the vision of whoever decided to pit students against one another in such a viciously competitive model of education. Actually, if we go by the Psy-Chrono Hypothesis, that may have even been what drew the Tree to the school in the first place– all the energy contained in the emotional tumults that unfolded here."

By this point, most of the other students have filed out of the cafeteria, back to their dorms for rest before the big exams on the coming Cycle.

>>765931
The rodent sniffs around the paper a bit. Though the paper seems to bother the rodent, he keeps looking back at you. Given the degree of intelligence he's demonstrated so far… could he expect advance pay for this work?

Good Intentions (M, Thaumaturge 7/6 02/05/24 (Mon) 04:27:43 No.765933

>>765932
Good slid over to his small stash of snacks, and offered him a few small orange cheesey crackers from a red box.

Billy[7/6 M. Knight] 02/05/24 (Mon) 04:35:20 No.765934

>>765932
"Would you say that this tumultuous energy done through roles be better than any other person's that the tree snags into this space?" Billy posits, not quite understanding where he is going with his own words.

Zamrud 6/5 [M. Puros Profesor] 02/05/24 (Mon) 04:35:52 No.765935

>>765932
As Godspeed points out just how aggressive Agape Academy is, Zamrud finds himself eventually nodding in agreement. "Hmm… when you put it that way, I find it hard to argue. Agape certainly does have a more draconic outlook on its education, that weapons should be allowed on campus is perhaps not beyond the realm of possibility. I suppose then, we should be grateful, seeing as how having our equipment could be of great benefit in the end."

As he sees the cafeteria start to file out, Zamrud rises from his seat as he finishes dinner. "I'm going to return to my office, finish grading some papers. I'm going to send a message on the board, reminding them if they find anything of interest that might be prudent to send outside of Agape Academy, to notify us. I'd like to see if we can send a package out before mid-terms, then it may return shortly after."

Qhapaq (M. Griffon Knight) 02/05/24 (Mon) 04:48:10 No.765936

>>765932
"Hrm… perhaps, yes. It is difficult to say for sure. I wonder if there is something similar for the "students" here naturally as well."

Principal AutuDMn 02/05/24 (Mon) 04:53:04 No.765937

>>765933
After eating his fill of crackers, the rodent licks his chops and combs his whiskers, then takes up the eraser, painstakingly undoing each incorrect answer. He wields the pencil a bit like a broom, you note. Then, when the mistakes are gone, the rodent whisks away a few more snacks, and looks over the paper again. After some deliberation, the rodent taps answers here and there, then waits for you to circle it before moving to the next question. Free-response questions, he skips, answering only the multiple choice ones.

>>765934
Godspeed ponders it. "I do wonder… But I am inclined to picture school as a uniquely effective role for Psy-Chrono harvesting. In Zinccastle, where basic education is required for all by law, people report suffering school-based dream-terrors quite regularly. Most often, they can't find their way to class, or they're forced to retake difficult classes, because their credits were retroactively declared invalid after they graduated. But other situations aren't as universal as school. Some people are fortunate enough to earn jobs that they enjoy, as soon as they enter the workforce. A few – the Nobles – are wealthy enough that they never have to work at all. So, a workplace scenario might not be as effective for feeding the Tree."

>>765935
>>765934
>>765936
"I shudder to think what students who were wealthy and well-connected enough to gain admission to Agape would be armed with," Godspeed says. "Get along nicely with your classmates– and never agree to meet them in a dark alleyway."

She checks the time, and stands up as well. "Right. I'll be off, myself then. I'd offer you luck, but I've fought alongside you before. Your skill and determination will see you through these midterms."

>paused