Calatin would have by now had a chance to observe much of the Academy in action (and even more, in inaction.) He sees them from a Druid perspective.

He's seen Gilamur and the often questionable alchemical projects, he's seen the aggressive. Sometimes grueling training of the “warrior wizards”, and the scholarly pursuits of many wizards focused on their particular areas of interest.  One thing they don't seem to have is the connection to the natural world that Druids regard as essential to living a proper, balanced existence.  Most of them seem averse to nature.  Even one who is clearly a Lycanthrope- no, not Raz, the other one... she seems allergic.  They work, they study, they talk to each other about bizarre theories of arcane energy...


Lady Dromessa introduces Calatin to the Theleas.  This family of musicians made a long and dangerous journey here, with the understanding that Rory would teach them a form of magic that revolves around music.  There is Caprio, his two sons, his two nieces, and Maura the governess. With their immediate future being sorted out they've been dumped on Caprio for solstice duty.

The Academy is also a litte cash strapped these days,  but Dromessa informs Calatin that  budget of 150 gold pieces is available for this.  And whatever assistance he can cajole from wizards.

He makes  a quick survey of the number of participants he's expecting:  Wizards, students, staff, some family... all told about two hundred.  It's something to start planning with.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:31, Sat 26 Jan 2013.

While awaiting the return message Rory offers to help plan or execute others plans for the celebration. Although this sort of thing is not his speciality -  he is more of a funeral bard. He does not complain even when his ideas are deemed inappropriate. He is courteous but in a stiff polite way. It is clear he is doing this to keep his mind and hands occupied.

Kyriel keeps tabs ont he Theleas, just to make sure that they're fitting in. She also offers to help.

I'll try to get a post up before Monday. Sorry for the wait, kids.

edit-
Will post Monday. I had most of the post written up today but then left to go to my RL nerd-night. The power blinked when I was gone, and I lost it all.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:42, Mon 28 Jan 2013.

From Calatin's point of view, the wizards needed Solstice badly.  And they had no idea how much.

From the wizard point of view... wizards  - the thing was, they saw him as another wizard.  A wizard of a different kind, perhaps, but still, a wizard.  Calatin has been here a while, an outsider yet with free access, and he has observed a pattern to the careers of wizards.   Most of them started off going where their curiosity took them- a spell here, a spell there, no real rhyme or reason.  Sooner or later, though, they found some specialty.  Was it something they were drawn to?  A particular gift?  Or was it… perhaps it was simply the effect of academic rivalry.

 By focusing on a very narrow aspect of the Arcane world, a wizard could become “the best” at something, and achieve a status that a generalist wizard could not.  Telios’s demonoly, Gilamur’s alchemy, Tharus’s battle magic… Marcus Ulpius's Dwarf inspired industriousness.. there was a wizardess named Ildika, who was supposedly an expert on possession and animation and the issues of “ensoulment” and dangerous sounding magics like that, but she had apparently gotten her consciousness trapped in her own spellbook, or something like that, and wasn’t physically there anymore.  But still, she was a specialist.

Lady Dromessa seemed outside the pattern.  What was her story?  She seemed to use magic less than the other wizards of her status.  She knew things, she just didn’t do things.

But this intense... focus... of theirs only seemed to blind them to many things.

* * * * * *

Caprio didn't see it that way.  He had only just arrived, he didn't know anything other than the fact that the famous wizards were all preoccupied with things he didn't know about, and wanted him to help organize a solstice festival.

It would, of course, involve music, and lots of it.

Food, drink... and the wizards seemed to be looking forward to that very much.

He has his family for help, and Kyriel as well, and where there is Kyriel there is Terrance, who tells her about things since.

He knows more than the others about what has happened, because his brother is Telios.  The Demonologist.

"A demon got in Aurelianorum,"  he quietly explains to her.  "Telios says it evaded the wards because it was brought in voluntarily. It tricked someone, he says, he won't tell me who.  Not even me.  But I think it was a wizard.  It's destoyed, now, but the wizards are looking everywhere for signs of things it might have done while it was here.  Telios says that Demons can lay the most subtle of seeds, which can give rise to great evils later on."

Kyriel helps out where she can with getting the solstice preparations ready.

As they're helping out, Terrance tells her what he knows. Thinking about things, she nods. "We, or I at least, need to talk to your brother. This is part of why the Academy has me here. To think outside the box.

Do we have any idea where it spent most of its time? Do we have any idea how long it was here? We know that Zerova was one of the more subtle demons. She cast spells on people to change their attitudes. Maybe this demon did something similar? Has anything changed since it arrived?"

Being part of the set up crew for the festivities will give her an excuse to go lots of places and do things without being noticed. Just the way she likes it. She'll try to ferret out anything that the wizards might have missed.

Calatin, nearly a stranger to the concept of hurrying for days on end, takes his time with the preparations.

A great many dead standing trees are felled and brought to the academy. They are then Wood Shaped into a form that should burn consistently through the night, instead of days on end, or instead of a blazing pyre in under an hour.

The ivy growing on some of the buildings is the target of Plant Growth. The overly-lush surfaces are then decorated with a myriad of pine cones and wreaths. Calatin badgers every wizard capable of manifesting Continual Flame to begin setting alight a few decorations per day in preparation for the festival. All of the junior wizards are encouraged to prepare nothing but spells that produce light of any kind. After seeing a few demonstrations of Dancing Lights, Calatin lets them know that it's perfect.

Music, the kind bipedal creatures tend to enjoy at least, is something that usually isn't a centerpiece of the event, but Calatin is open-minded about the entire process. He describes the solstice to the group as a time of rebirth, celebration of the waxing days to come, and the beginning of the return of warmth and light. Whatever they feel best represents that should be appropriate. Having their instruments or clothing lit up is a major plus.

Catering is left to whoever takes the time to handle it. If nobody steps forward after a few days, Calatin will hire someone in town to make all of the arrangements for him. After all, even if the meal is subpar, there are enough wizards and apprentices walking around to Prestidigitation the food into something palatable. Serving the ale, wine, and swill first always helps as well.


The druid's gift to the academy will be a new oak sapling of a few feet tall planted wherever Lady Dromessa deems proper. To give her an idea of how it will look in a few years, and for some comedic effect, Calatin will cast Tree Shape on himself while standing in the proposed spot.


The wizards' preoccupation with specializing in their own field is both fascinating and, after a while, boring to the druid. There is unique power to their arcane machinations--there's no denying that. Druids, on the other hand, tend to change their magical focus in a matter of weeks, if not days, depending on the situation at hand. Calatin himself oftentimes doesn't know with which magic he's going to start the day until well after providence has done a good bit of the decision-making for him. Some of them seem content to pursue their craft for no other reason than unto itself. What purpose does magic have if not to be used as a practical tool for some other endeavor?

It is interesting, however, and spending different afternoons with different specialists is a sort of highlight of the druid's day. Maybe that's a part of why he was the one selected to come here in the first place.


The days go by quickly, and although Calatin is not the most effective administrator, the plans converge into something that seems to have a high likelihood of coming out very well.


If asked about the demon, Calatin would be happy to tell all he knows. Chances are the wizards would have told you that he was there during its demise (or rather, he was the one squeezing it to death while others stabbed and shot it). Demonology is not his forte, nor really an interest of any kind, so the event will likely slip into vague memory by the same time next year for him.

There are some practical requirements the “festival committee” is informed of.  The Academy generally has a range of different parties and receptions, for different purposes, every holiday season.  The first is always the feast for the youngest apprentices.  This is held no later than a week before the actual Solstice.  This is because many of these apprentices will be going back to their family homes for the Solstice.

A few days later, the party is geared to the older Apprentices.  Then there is the Academy Solstice Ceremony, the main event of the season.  After that, there is a faculty and staff ball- held while many of the younger students are still away from the Academy.  During this time, the Contessa Chatelet often has a private party or two, sometimes invited wealthy backers of the academy.

While Calatin and company are working in the Academy’s central plaza, several of the senior wizards, Dromessa, Syanthus, and Gilamur, wander by to inspect.

”I don’t like the idea of being away for the solstice,” the white bearded Syanthus says.  The professor emeritus of the Academy, he is the one that looks every inch the classical wizard.  “Our Druid is turning our academy grounds into a Fey forest, from the look of it.  It’s a thing of beauty.  I’d hate to miss it.”

”Clovis’s son does not get married every day,” Lady Dromessa says.  “And there is no other way to be present in Lucimburic.”

”And who have you volunteered to go with me?”  Syanthus asks.

”Rory, for one.  No sooner did the plan come about than he started packing for the trip.”

”I worry about that young man,” Syanthus says.  “He is a bard, his emotions are his strength.  But they can also be very painful for him.  And he is capable of great power.  Power and pain are a difficult combination.”

”And Kyriel, the Elf girl," the wizardess continues, derailing Syanthus's train of thought.  "I would like to send others.  I am thinking on this.”

”When do we go?”

”I have been told the ceremony isn’t until after the Solstice, but it may not be easy to hold Rory back until then.  He’ll be likely to run off on his own.”

”It would take him a month or two to get there," Syanthus says.  "And it would be brutal travel, in winter.  He'd miss the Solstice by weeks, at least.  It would be an insane act… yes, I agree, there is a danger he would try.”

”And you, Syanthus, are you up to the teleports?”  Lady Dromessa asks.

The old wizard smiles.  ”The herbs from Treverorum were good for me.  I am better this year than in quite a few years past.  I can do it.”