I decided to split my Unseen Mystery - Mythic/Discworld game and its current session as it was getting rather long. Also, I'm trying to break my record by writing ten thousand words in a single day, and this makes it easier to count. So this session is part of two goals: Find out who is after pour Kaylor and reaching 10k by 9 A.M.
The next morning, Kaylor stopped by Professor Prenk's office. The professor was sitting at a table, eating breakfast while reading reports from his many students. as he saw his student, he smiled. "Mr. Wallow, a good morning to you. Please, have a seat."
"Morning." Kaylor took a seat at the table.
"Are you hungry?" The professor waved a hand over the various foods before them. "I've got more than enough."
Kaylor shook his head. "Thanks, but I already ate."
Prenk nodded. "Well I'm glad you are eating. How are you feeling?"
"My head's still ringing," the young wizard answered, "but otherwise I'm okay. Did you find out what happened?"
(Q) Has anyone investigated the room yet? (Likely) No.
"Not yet." Prenk took a drink from his cup. "I ordered the room sealed until we knew more, especially after seeing your reaction and being told you had inhaled some of a dangerous gas." I chewed some of his food and then looked up. "Actually, I was hoping you could enlighten me as to what happen, from your perspective, of course."
Kaylor shrugged. "I was working on my study of spheres, like I mentioned to you when getting your approval."
"And what magic exactly did you cast on these spheres?" the professor asked.
"All I did was levitate them," Kaylor answered. "Then I shined a light on them to see how the light reacted." He shrugged. "It's not like I mixed a bunch of chemicals or anything. I was just studying inanimate objects."
"But the last one that exploded," Prenk set down his fork and set his complete attention on his student, do you remember which of your spheres that it was?"
"The mirror sphere," Kaylor said. "I was studying where it reflected light and the different angles it struck the walls and ceiling when, well, Boom."
"Boom, indeed." The aging professor leaned back in his seat. "This is a most unusual occurrence."
"I have a question." Kaylor leaned forward. "This isn't one of your special little exams, is it?"
(Q) Was this one of Professor Prenk's surprise exams? (50/50) X-No.
The question actually brought out a chuckle from the professor. "Ha ha! You really thought it was one of my . . . ha ha! Oh my goodness, I can assure you, young Mr. Wallow, no. Absolutely not." He thought back, with his eyes briefly roaming to the ceiling. "All right, I'll admit that I have thrown quite a few, unexpected tests in your direction because I found you are one of those who learn best that way, not to mention my own amusement as I observe how you tackle each obstacle."
The professor suddenly grew serious. "However, in complete honesty, I can assure you that I would first not interrupt an actual experiment to spring a surprise exam on you. and second, I would not directly place any of my students in the path of critical harm. My students may walk away from my exams with bruises and the faintest hints of psychological trauma, but they still walk away." His eyes fell to the table. "Well, most of them anyways. But to answer your question. no I had nothing to do with it."
Kaylor sighed. "So then next question. How do I continue my experiment then? The due date, your own due date, isn't too far away."
Prenk nodded. "For the time being, I am choosing to place your experiment on hold. That means I will also postpone your due date until we know more information." He then turned a piece of paper around and passed it to his student. "Until then, I have scheduled for you to attend classes. In the worst case of scenarios where you are unable to complete your studies with the spheres, I will count your classwork toward your final grade."
Picking up the paper, Kaylor frowned. "Okay, but I was really enjoying what I was working on."
"Oh you're not done with it," his professor reassured him. "Simply consider it on pause for the time being. Now off with you. I believe your class with Professor Garfnozell begins in an hour."
So that was my opening scene, with Kaylor taking a break to attend classes. Will he be safe? I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
But first, let's see what exactly this Professor Garfnozell teaches. I'm going to use the Spell Effects table for this one.
(Detail) What does Professor Garfnozell teach? "Information," "Inspect."
Before attending class, I want to have Kaylor cast his Danger Sense spell, just in case.
(Magic) Does the spell work? (+4 vs. 0 spell lvl = Certain) X-Yes.
An hour later, Kaylor sat in the auditorium with a number of other students for Professor Garfnozell's lecture on Linking Magic to Language. He sat in the back, where he preferred to sit. However, since both sides of the auditorium were filled, he sat in the middle row. Also, he went with Professor Prenk's suggestion to wear his wizard robes rather than his street clothing so he'd blend in better. After all, Garfnozell was kind enough to allow another student into his class, so the least Kaylor could do was cooperate and follow the dress code.
(Detail) Please tell me about Professor Garfnozell. "Expensive," "Stocky."
(Detail) What else? "Careless," "Mocking."
(Detail) What is he doing during the lecture? "Betray," "Excited."
For the record, I want something to happen in this scene, but I'm just not sure what. While I'm writing, I'll figure out how to trigger a random event.
Professor Garfnozell with his wizard robe covered with trinkets seemingly from all over the disc, paced back and forth on the stage. As he reached one end of the stage and turned, his belly paused before hurrying to catch up with the rest.
On the board behind him was a list of various place on the disc and their languages. Picking up a longer than usual wand, he pointed to the board. "This brings us to the tiny island of Raugu, a relic of a previous age. And yet this small patch of land, while falling below the attentions of the common eye, an yours as well, houses a genuine secret."
He lifted a necklace for the students to view. And then he pointed to pictures of several runes on the board. "And who can identify the runic designs that also appear on the stones that I current wear."
Several hands went up.
(Detail) What do they represent? "Self," "Illusion."
But Garfnozell didn't even look up. "I highly doubt it." When the hands fell, he continued. "These represent the belief of the Raugi, and yes that what how you refer to the previous inhabitants of that island. Not Rauguans, not Raugians, and certainly not the Raug." He glared at someone in the front row, who lowered his or her head from view. "You refer to them as the Raugi. Now before I was so rudely interrupted - "
Kaylor smirked. Nobody had actually interrupted the professor. In fact, those around him seemed to really want to learn what he was teaching. Too bad Garfnozell was so full of himself, he spent more time trying to boost his own ego than to teach his students. Kaylor hated instructors like that, but he needed the grade until he could return to his studies at the lab, so he stayed quiet and tried to take notes.
"The Raugi," the professor continued, "believed that that which we call the self does not in fact actually exist." Reaching the front row, he pinched a student's arm, and the student jumped. "They claimed that this, the flesh, is merely an illusion." He returned to the stage, wiping his fingers on his robe. "And that in reality, well in their reality, we are but collections of countless collections of consciousness. The actual term they use, in their language, was Sabbheek Yhen. Could anyone tell me what that means?"
(Q) Did anyone know the answer? (50/50) No.
When nobody raised a hand, he smirked. "I didn't think so. In our language, it means, 'All Are One.' Or to put in terms that the lot of you would understand, they believed not in one person or group being better than another, but everyone as equals. After all, anyone, according to them, right the right mindset and training could touch the powers beyond and achieve greatness."
He snorted. "A feeble notion at best. However they did learn to harness magic by focusing their energies into the runes, which acted as their own spell books, which they could easily carry around with them." He smiled. "I spent many a year on that island, and I would be misrepresenting myself as all too humble if I kept to myself that I learned much of their mystical language."
He then pointed to the next line on the board. "Now who can identify this next line?"
(Q) Does anyone identify it? (50/50) No, Random Event.
(Event) "Start," "Conflict."
Hmm, I could use one more word: "Move."
Got it!
When no hands were raised, he grinned. "Well at least I know of one who would pass this class. Now this next line refers to - "
Suddenly, the top of Kaylor's head pounded. Looking straight up, he saw a large object falling right at him.
(Q) Is the object's Difficulty +2? (Likely) No.
(Ability) Does Kaylor avoid the object? (+3 for Danger Sense vs. +1 Difficulty = Very Likely) Yes, but barely.
"Look out!" Kaylor shouted, spreading his hands in both directions.
Leaping over the chairs, he cleared them just as the object crashed behind him, sending him tumbling between the seats. As he got back to his feet, he saw a large piece of a girder where he had just recently sat.
(Q) Was anyone hurt? (50/50) No.
Several other students got to their feet. They all seemed shaken but unharmed.
"What in the devil?" Professor Garfnozell ran up the aisle. "Young man, I have seen more than my share of excuses to cut my lectures short, but this -"
"It wasn't his fault," said a student next to him. She pointed upward. "It just fell, like it broke off or something."
(Q) Did the piece of girder really break off on its own? (Unlikely) No.
Wrapping his robe around his trinkets to protect the, the professor examined the piece of rubble. "Not broken, obviously." He pointed. "These lines are too smooth for an act of nature of negligence." He looked up, and for the first time since Kaylor had known him, the professor lost his aura of excessive confidence. "This was broken by outside action." His expression turned even more grim. "It was deliberate."
So that scene ends with another attempt on Kaylor's life. The mystery continues.
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