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Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Started by Whim, February 11, 2018, 08:03:49 PM

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Whim

Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Wyrdwood Academy is one of the oldest wizard colleges in Serendipity. It is known for magical research that is groundbreaking, dangerous, and unethical. Because the school has graduated generations of highborn mages, from well-connected families, most are content to overlook such unseemly allegations. Its ultimate goal is to produce peerless mage-knights, and vaunt Serenian culture to its rightful place of dominance. The old guard cherish it, though Wyrdwood has clashed with the Order of the Moon and more progressive nobles. The school is fiercely competitive and patriotic. It loves draconian rules, slavish adherence to tradition, and cruel hazing.

The goal is a wizard school filled with reckless experiments and oddball traditions. But I want to make it very easy to get involved, and open to collaboration. It can sponsor adventurers, be the alma mater of a mage-character, or a player in political intrigue. You can find our discord here:

https://discord.gg/CYumdYV

Membership

Serenian mages make up the bulk of the school. Still, non-magical adventurers and visiting scholars have worked their way into the Academy. Foreigners are given a cool welcome. They face suspicion,  and their spellwork is treated more as a primitive curiosity. The cats and gargoyles of Wyrdwood keep a close eye on outsiders to dissuade snooping into secrets and forbidden lore.

Apprentices: Wyrdwood students, ages 13 to 21, are mostly drawn from old mage-families. Still, talented slaves and peasants are often admitted for the sake of new blood. Noble or common, they are stuffed into the same overcrowded dormitories, made to wear the same starchy blue robes, and given the same out-of-style haircuts. Apprentices are left to express their individuality and worth through raw talent.

Underclassmen
Aahva Chatterjee
Ailith Leighlin
Andrew Maxon, and his molecular magic!
Arthur Clearwater
Beatrix Evans
"Brandon"
Derek Ryder, at Wyrdwood to harass girls and go to parties! (In order to harass more girls)
Grent Killoran, "Prince of Dirt"
"Kaliam", conjoined apprentices Kana Blackbraid and Liam Hargrove
Laeni
Lulu Von Grimmelshausen
Plutonius Kingshield, Too Cool For School
Susie Rainfeather
Taig Harnas
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Upperclassmen
Aurelia "Rory" Marigold
Awendela "Sunny", a Duhjari shaman-in-training with many powers relating to animals!
Brahgo Ironjaw
Brendan Chase
Hana Splint
Kaylee
Morgan Strouse, who has gold magic!
Percival Clearwater
Rianharr Thalance, Self-Proclaimed Fashion Police
"Sprinkles", a Fae student with a creative side which she expresses through glamour magic
Thatcher Paulson, he has an "evil eye"
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Fellows: Graduates, junior teachers, and wealthy donors are Fellows. They can walk the grounds, visit the libraries, and conduct research under supervision of a Magister. Most underclassmen are taught by Fellows.

Fellows
Alabaster Zinc, professor of disenchantment
Dorothy Summers, professor of prestidigitation
Ewan ap Rhys, awarded honors in the study of life magic, and duelist of the Blue Ribbons
Glinda Fare, Wyrdwood Librarian
Idara, professor of elemental ice
Ricardo Swantra, professor of magical weaponry and how to use it
Yarden Hale, professor of thaumateurgy
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Magisters: Wizards recognized as masters of their craft are Magisters. They oversee teaching and experimentation. The Magisterium, their collective body, votes on matters of school policy and leadership. Most are old, crafty, and mired in petty intrigues. The position is political as much as academic, and most magisters come from old Serenian lines. I ask that you PM me before creating a magister, so we can discuss the character and how they fit into the school.

Magisters
Maergath, magister of soulshaping, First of the Broken Seal
Llewellyn, Magister of Familiars and Magical Beasts
Maggie Fen-Breath, magistrix of black magic
Saoirse Nettlefield, Magistrix of Elemental Alchemy and Headmistress of Wyrdwood
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The Headmistress

Saoirse Nettlefield, Magistrix of Elemental Alchemy and Headmistress of Wyrdwood
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Campus

Wyrdwood is a small, early-age castle built into the scrubby hills of northwestern serendipity. Its courtyard houses the the Wyrdwood, a gnarly old apple tree covered in eldritch carvings. According to legend it was grown from the cuttings of a since-incinerated world tree. Its towers are a maze of vast libraries, cramped bunks (smaller students sometimes sleep in drawers), and hidden menageries. Magic is incorporated into its very architecture, and corridors are rearranged each semester. The Lyceum houses libraries and lecture halls on the lower floors. The Attics, a euphemism for Wyrdwood's three towers, are for dormitories and offices. The Vaults are a network of caverns beneath the school used for experimentation and spellwork.

The Academy loves to showcase its magical excess. Flocks of overdue library books soar through its constantly rearranging corridors, though tardy students are made to sweep and mop.

Student Life

Most students are sent to Wyrdwood by virtue of family connections. Its not uncommon for junior instructors who are either unlucky, or passionate about education, to wander the countryside and slave markets in search for promising talent. Most begin their 8 year stints in early adolescence. Life at Wyrdwood is strictly regimented and the smallest details down to lunch and attire are micromanaged by persistent enchantments. Truly clever pupils will find ways around them, after all, and those inclined to follow rules are best suited to taking orders.

Course of Study: All students are schooled in the fundamentals of elemental magic, life magic, and metamagical principles. Upperclassmen are officially apprenticed to a Magister, or Fellow Magician, to develop their unique talents.

Culture: Wyrdwoodians are fiercely competitive and accustomed to fighting for accolades and attention. With each year and trial come new perks and privileges; older students perpetuate the pranks and hazing they endured the previous year (as gestures of affection, of course). Just the same, Wyrdwoodians form close friendships as a consequence of the shared ordeal. And upperclassmen do take little ones under their wing. Traditions at the Academy include:
  • Midsummer Masters: A chess tournament where underclassmen, not off for the summer term, are miniaturized and made to fight as the pieces.
  • Vaulting: Thrill-seeking students sneak into the Vaults, pilfering magical oddities for bragging rights. There's talk of a race of blind fish people (transformed students? dimensional interlopers?), a wish-granting mirror, and an undead wyrm.
  • Lord Spencer O'Toole: Lord Spencer attended Wyrdwood Academy long ago, but he fell ill one day and returned home. The illness which could've been cured at Wyrdwood took his life at his home. His brother, an amateur necromancer, couldn't deal with the loss. When Lord Spencer died, his brother brought him back. Only... it wasn't done correctly.
  • The Wishing Well: In the north courtyard, near the stable, is a wishing well. Its terribly rude and sarcastic. Curious first-years often throw junk into it for a laugh.

Room and Board: Wyrdwoodians are quartered based on age, sex, and standing. A bright girl in Year Eight might get a tower-top; ten boys in Year One will simply be crammed into a bunk. All pupils are given a set of starchy, azure robes. Stoles, gilded sleeves, and personal staves are awarded for advancement. Upperclassmen seated near the high table dine on roast game from Wyrdwood's preserve; underclassmen near the kitchens enjoy blanched greens and porridge.

Departments, Clubs, & Committees

Within Wyrdwood are numerous departments, committees, and fraternities. For every school of magic Wyrdwood has a practitioner. Elementalism is the favored craft, though it has pioneered the art of Soulshaping. Divination is banned for being the stuff of charlatans and primitives; a wizard determines his own fate, and the gyrations of elemental particles are inherently unpredictable. Key factions are listed below, but many others exist:

Blue Ribboned Basilisks: The Blue Ribbons are devoted to the art of wizardly dueling. Mostly it's a social club for rowdy young mages with a penchant for destructive pranks. Still, it's responsible for many lifelong friendships, petty rivalries, and society weddings.

The Broken Seal: Officially, the Broken Seal is devoted to developing weapons for the Serenian army. In particular it is known to dabble in soulbinding and the animation of golems. No one has officially asked if infusing soulstuff to steel is so different from necromancy. No one wants to know.

The Broken Seal hand-picks upperclassmen largrly from the Serenian aristocracy, and students willing to bend their morals for the good of country. Those chosen by Maergath can spend days in Wyrdwood's Vault conducting experiments, or vanish for months in order to conduct "field research." There are rumors abound of kidnapped test subjects and dragonbone smuggling. Many of it's members go on to hold high military office, or head more conservative households.

The Reliquary: The Reliquary is responsible for archaeology expeditions, and the catalog of magical anomalies, and fantastic beasts. It is very open to outsiders and new ideas. It openly consorts with unsavory adventurers and mercenaries.
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

Eckhart_Von_Musel

Signing up Susie Rainfeather as a first year student! 

Also, is it possible for me to have my politician, Mr. Fiegenbaum, as a donor? That would open up some fun plots for him.

Whim

Awesome! I'll toss her on the list.

Fiegenbaum as a patron could be very interesting. How would you like to move forward with it? If you'd be interested in threading with Maergath I'd be willing. Off the top of my head there are two approaches we could take:
1) Amitai has some specific interest in a project at the school, perhaps of an illegal nature. He's meeting with Maergath or some other magister to gain access.
2) For all the gold Amitai's given the Academy offers him a dinner. None of the Magisters like him or care to go. Maergath owes someone a favor and gets stuck at dinner.

Obviously these are just seeds if you want to expand on them.
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

Eckhart_Von_Musel

Thanks! I'm also going to be making a professor, I'll post him here when he's done.

I really like both ideas, maybe we could combine them? He learns of this project while at dinner?

Celegwen

Throwing out Patrick Motsi for a Magister position! He's an elemental master with power over wind and earth.

Whim

@Eckhart_Von_Musel I think combining them could work well, especially since their interests might just happen to Serendipitously intersect. Did you want to get the ball rolling or wrap up some of our other stuff first?

@SilverDragonsBlood Added Patrick. He looks like a lot of fun. A Magister with an interest in education, and a more peaceful nature, brings some nice balance. Also an elf with a mullet.

Another more general idea I had was a party of students exploring the vaults on a dare. I usually gripe and warn against the evils of large-scale D&D adventures fizzling... but it might end up fun.
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

Celegwen

That sounds like a lot of fun! I have two other students in the works right now (a 21-year-old and a 17-year-old). Definitely interested in exploring the vaults X)

Eckhart_Von_Musel

Finished him! Meet Alabaster Zinc, Magister of disenchantment! I believe I told you on discord last night, but I have another teacher in the works as well- a hag who teaches black magic. I'll probably start on her tonight.

I could start a thread with Fiegenbaum, yeah! I'll be on vacation in New York over the weekend, so I'll probably write the opener next week.

(Vault exploring sounds like a blast btw, count me in!)

Celegwen

My second student! Brendan Chase is looking forward to joining Wyrdwood.

Eckhart_Von_Musel

Finally done! Finished her in the car on the way to NYC.

Meet Maggie Fen-Breath, magister of black magic!

emeraldknight


Whim

@Eckhart_Von_Musel @SilverDragonsBlood @emeraldknight

Awesome! I added everybody's new characters. So happy everyone is so enthusiastic.

With respect to exploring the vaults I'll try and get something set up in the next week. I have an underclassman (second year) I'm working on right now. I suppose he, Susie, Eleanor, and Taig might be the best candidates? Maybethey all tried to join the Blue Ribbons to make friends or some-such? But wound up thrashed and humiliated. One of them hears an old myth about a wish-giving mirror in the vaults? We can always work on the exact premise if that's not to your liking.
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

Celegwen

I have Clarissa Wolff here!

She's a graduate who is now head of a coven of sorts of Wyrdwood graduates and last year students who have decided to go the route of mage-knight. I'll post the information page on the coven/group here once I have it up. I'll be adding to it and everyone else is free to as well!

Celegwen

Finished it faster than I thought I would!

The Knights' Coven is dedicated to training primarily the graduates of Wyrdwood who decided to continue on the path towards becoming a mage-knight. Though, those not affiliated with Wyrdwood may be allowed to join.

Celegwen

Okay, I love this school, so I can't help myself X)

Another magister! Meet Keeler Quevedos! He's a professor of bestiary with a dragon as a best friend. If you want a field trip or some outdoor experience with animals, he's your guy.

Eckhart_Von_Musel


Celegwen

Unapologetically in love with this school X)

Kimberly Sanel is a professor of primal magic with blood rituals/weaving as her specialty.

Celegwen

Jacqueline Cleary is a 19-year-old elemental mage, not so thrilled with being at the school.

Whim

Whew. I've got everyone added!

I did want to highlight that if anyone wants to play an ambitious or put-upon teacher that most of the teaching at Wyrdwood is likely done by Fellows. In my head I imagine magisters mostly instruct upperclassmen or pursue their own research. I've been mulling over whether or not the position is equivalent to "professor" or something more akin to a department head or dean...

Now that I've got my student(s), Kaliam, created I'll start working on a thread to coordinate the Vaulting event.
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

Celegwen

Got a new student! Jacob Mullin who is just a little shitbag!

Also, should probably post Alieta Shaw here. She's a Wyrdwood graduate, a member of the Coven, and she'd probably enjoy being a substitute/part-time teacher for elemental magic.

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