[PQ] {Magic Training} Echolocation

Hotaru

My Aphrodite she's a myth, she's a legend
One look at her is sure to lock you out of heaven

Another season, another large training session with her students.

A few have already gathered, and Hotaru has ordered them to begin stretching to prepare for physical activity. The room is large and empty, with no barriers or items to be seen, and Hotaru stands in the middle watching the small gaggle grow, noting how each person performs their own stretches and considering future changes to physical education.

When all have gathered, Hotaru takes from her hip a collection of long strips of fabric - and she creates a few more with a bit of magic when she re-counts all the available heads. "Everyone please line up before me." Her voice calls an end to the warmup session, and as her students obey she begins walking down the line, handing fabric to each student in turn as she begins her lesson. "Each of you will tie this around your eyes, ensuring you cannot see. There will be repercussions for any visual cheating." Other cheating techniques were entirely fair game in the melee that would ensue.

"We will be playing a seemingly simple game of tag based on all senses aside from your eyes." Given she has no hybrid students, she doesn't feel the need to clarify no Attuned half-shifts were allowed either. "You can tag and be tagged multiple times, as I will be keeping track of scores. I want you to think about how your magic is best utilized here; offensively, defensively? Can you misdirect, rebuff, or otherwise trick your fellows to avoid being tagged?" The goal is for them to think of these things themselves in time, but Hotaru knows some learn at a slower pace, and it is her job to get the wheels turning. "Will you aim to tag as many as you can, or play evasively until the end?"

Stepping to the sidelines once she has reached the end of the row, Hotaru commands them to mill about - smiling slightly as a few inevitably bump into each other as the room fills, a few students already heading for certain areas in hopes of improving their chances. "Begin!" And let the chaos ensue.

- - -

Welcome to the Leafchange 316 Magic Training! You must claim your spot with a post to participate in this training, there are no holds, and the PQ will move on as soon as spots are filled. This training will be for turning Basic magic to Upgraded magic.

Please list what magic you are upgrading in your posts. For this PQ, weapons and companions are not permitted. Remember this training is for the magic you are choosing to upgrade and should heavily involve it.

You can have your character arrive and begin immediately!

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I have never feared the storm

Sah is eager to join in on the Academy's next training session as his busy schedule finally permits it. When he arrives, the Wild Thunder grins at Hotaru, "You've got a fun one planned for us today, don't you?" The Valkyrie doesn't disappoint and Sah is soon taking the black blindfold and tying it around his eyes. With his sight gone, the Abandoned hones in on his other senses.

The second the word 'Begin', leaves Hotaru's mouth, Sah slams his hands into the earth, palms down. Channeling his creation magic paired with earth and air, he swiftly creates a moat of pitfalls around himself. Anyone who tries to tag him will hopefully fall in instead.

~
Sah arrives! He's training his basic creation magic to upgraded.

He combines his creation and earth magic to create a moat of pitfalls around himself.

Sah

And I came to, walking on the train tracks
How did I get here? And how do I get back?

Alys had been waiting for what felt like eons to train with Hotaru, and so she arrived to the training grounds as early as possible, grinning at her friend and beginning to stretch. In this context, at least, they were teacher and student rather than besties, and Alys was well aware of the role she needed to play - at least until class was over. She'd dressed today for physical activity, with her wild curls piled into a knot on the top of her head and clothed in loose, comfortable pants and shirt. Her stretches, at least, were those of someone who had been well-taught; she'd been taking combat lessons for the better part of two seasons now, and was at least comfortable with the basics.

When Hotaru began to speak, Alys straightened to listen, taking her blindfold with pursed lips as she considered her strategy. How was she to use illusion or telekinesis to trick her opponents in a blind game of tag? Still, she tied the band around her head faithfully, and as soon as she heard the word, "Begin!" she got to work. Blinded and nervous, Alys knelt to make herself a smaller target and used her illusion to make it sound like she was running, trying to draw her opponents away from herself.

------

Alys arrives! She is training her basic illusion magic to upgraded.

She uses her illusion magic to try to make it sound like she is running away from her current position.

I've been up all night, let's stay awake
Push it further, you know I'll never break

Alys

Hotaru

My Aphrodite she's a myth, she's a legend
One look at her is sure to lock you out of heaven

"Always," she agrees with a grin toward Sah, always happy to keep her students on their toes. To Alys she merely winks, hoping to encourage her before the game begins.

It's admittedly a rough start - but not just for her two favorite pupils. All of the students are disoriented, milling about with their eyes blinded, many lifting their hands like children and groping about in the air as they bump into one another. Hotaru expected exactly this, so she is far from disappointed. "It will take time for your body to adjust to relying on and heightening your other senses. Don't be discouraged!" Because already both Sah and Alys have been tagged by other students regardless of their efforts - though it's entirely due to dumb luck on behalf of the students who manage to bump into them.

For Alys, kneeling is a great idea, and she is only tagged because a fellow student's leg collides with her. Perhaps she'll feel that, and know she is on the right track? As for Sah, his pitfalls have not claimed a victim (yet!) and he is only tagged because someone who had started out directly next to him bumbles into him. Hotaru continues to watch, not intervening with her own magic as she is reserving that to make the task more difficult as her students grow more comfortable in their environment.

- - -

Bad luck this time, but everyone is adjusting to being blind and the NPC students are equally disoriented! Will you try the same tactic, or something more offensive?

I have never feared the storm

Sah grumbles when he's knocked into, nearly zapping the poor soul as they startle him. It's only because he has mastery over his lightning that saves them. Clearly his current defenses aren't enough.

Calling upon his magic, Sah creates a rope lasso. Using his air magic, he tries to feel disturbances in the wind to try and pinpoint where someone is. Once he thinks he's locked on, he sends the lasso out to try and yank the person into his trap. Maybe it'll work or maybe he'll make a fool of himself and throw a rope at seemingly random. But at least only Ru will see it, even if she teases him later for it.

~
Sah uses his creation magic to make a rope lasso and uses his air magic to try and sense where someone is to try and lasso them into his trap.

Sah

And I came to, walking on the train tracks
How did I get here? And how do I get back?

At first, Alys felt pretty good about her tactics. Kneeling seemed like a good idea at the time, and for a brief moment, it seemed to have worked. Then someone bumped into her - although it felt more like an accident than a purposeful tag - and she scowled, jolting to her feet and scuttling a few steps away from the person who had touched her. There she crouched, not quite kneeling (the better to move quickly if needed), but not standing up straight either, aiming still to make herself as small a target as possible.

She heard things happening around her: the sound of students stumbling about, falling over, knocking into each other, and gods only knew what else. Still, she focused on sound as her primary sense, trying to get used to being blinded. It was extremely disorienting, and as much as she loved Ru, she came up with some very creative curses towards the woman as she tried to figure out how to go about this challenge.

It occurred to her suddenly that she was supposed to be tagging others as well as trying to avoid being tagged, and she pursed her lips in thought. Again she used her illusion magic to create the sound of footsteps, but this time, she tried to make them run right in front of her, hoping that someone would hear and follow in an attempt to tag whoever made the noise. If they did, they would run right into her hands.

------

Alys uses her illusion magic to try to lure someone closer to her and tag them!

I've been up all night, let's stay awake
Push it further, you know I'll never break

Alys

Hotaru

My Aphrodite she's a myth, she's a legend
One look at her is sure to lock you out of heaven

As time goes on and her students grow more accustomed to utilizing their other senses, successes begin to bloom across the proverbial battlefield. Alys is immediately triumphant as another student blindly chases after the footsteps they hear, only to find herself tagged the moment they wander into Alys' reach. Grumbling, they take the loss and divert elsewhere.

As for Sah, his lasso does ensnare a student, dropping them into the moat he has created and evading being tagged. But will he choose to take the chance to tag the prey he has ensnared? Or will he merely try to avoid being tagged the entire game, and not score any points of his own?

Amused to see all the different attempts and rather proud of her students for adapting so quickly, Ru decides to increase the difficulty. Using her own creation magic, she scatters marbles across the floor. Not only do they make noise as they roll about, guided by her air magic, but they cause students to begin slipping and skidding about.

- - -

Great job! Both Sah and Alys were successful. However, now there are dastardly marbles on the playing field. Will you chance moving about or will you stay still and risk fewer points?

I have never feared the storm

Sah feels the lasso tighten around someone and hears the yelp they give when the fall into his trap. Perfect. Without letting go of the rope, he uses his creation magic to strengthen it and then lets it guide him to the specific trap that the person fell into. Reaching down he tries to give the poor soul a solid tag. With his air magic still active, he thinks he feels something else in play on the field but he's not sure just what it is. The only thing he can do is be extra cautious with his movements and hope to avoid whatever Ru has now thrown at them. Knowing her, it's probably best to avoid it at all costs.

~
Sah restrengthens the rope with creation magic and keeping a hand on the lasso and uses it to guide him to the activated trap to tag the person. His air magic is active to help him keep an 'eye' on his surroundings.

Sah

And I came to, walking on the train tracks
How did I get here? And how do I get back?

A smirk appeared on Alys's face as she tagged another student, triumph and pride rising in her chest. She hoped that Ru had seen. She very much wanted to impress her friend and teacher. But then something new happened; there was a clatter and the sound of objects... rolling? Well, that was an interesting development. Alys froze, unwilling to move until she could identify the source of the noise.

She heard something coming closer, and she bent down, trying to feel for the item to see if she could identify it, hoping that it wasn't anything particularly dangerous. If she managed to grab one, she would realize that the small, round, smooth object was a marble, or something incredibly similar. Great.

Either way, she stayed, frozen in place. If she tripped over whatever was rolling around, she would be an easy target, not only because she'd be temporarily immobilized as she recovered, but because she'd be sure to make a lot of noise. Instead, she tried the same trick again, drawing on her illusion magic to fake footsteps coming from a different direction. Perhaps the same trap would work twice.

------

Alys uses her illusion magic trick again to try to lure someone closer to her and tag them!

I've been up all night, let's stay awake
Push it further, you know I'll never break

Alys

Hotaru

My Aphrodite she's a myth, she's a legend
One look at her is sure to lock you out of heaven

With his prey already entrapped, Sah has a perfect tag waiting for him as he makes it to the edge of his little hole and blindly swats downward. Hotaru records another point with a hidden smile, proud. She's allowed her favorites, okay? Though she does wince slightly when the Wild Thunder steps back and away from the other student and gets a marble right underneath his shoe, making him stumble but not fall. Though it does attract attention from the nearby students, who turn blindly towards him, heads cocked and listening after hearing the disturbance. An easy score over there perhaps? They begin to move towards him, shuffling and slow.

Alys is similarly successful to Hotaru's growing pleasure. She is successful in grabbing and identifying the marbles, and manages to lure yet another student in to be tagged, prompting a huff and a groan from the other person before they go shuffling off to try and recoup their loss. The marbles bump up against her shoes, but Alys manages not to get any underfoot, leaving her steady and at an advantage with nobody knowing where she is.

Prompted by their success, Ru grins and sets about creating more marbles - this time metallic ones with an inner marble that prompt a ringing, singing noise as they roll and clink into the other glass marbles. Where before there was silence, now the intermittent sound of the rolling metal makes it harder to hear footsteps.

- - -

Great rolls! Now there are metallic marbles on the field with an inner ball that creates noise as it rolls about, making it difficult to hear footsteps.

Time to change up your tactics!

I have never feared the storm

Sah grins as he tags his prisoner and leaves them in the hole to be retrieved when the training ends. The new marble makes hearing footsteps harder but with is air magic, the Abandoned tries to map out where people are. He vaguely thinks he hears people coming towards him and quickly gets to work. Using his earth and creation magic, Sah tries to make a trip wire around him.

Hopefully his pursuers will trip, and he can tag them as they fall. It's not the best plan but it's what he's got at the moment. Keeping his air magic circling, he tries to gauge where they're coming from.


~
Sah uses creation and earth to make a trip wire around him. He's hoping that the people headed his way will trip and he can tag them as they fall.

Sah

And I came to, walking on the train tracks
How did I get here? And how do I get back?

Alys as pleased at her success as she managed to tag another student, a wide grin crossing her face for a moment. It was strange and uncomfortable to be blindfolded, but as she was growing used to the lack of sight - or, at least, she thought she was, until the sound of something metallic (?) rolling around underfoot gave her pause. The marbles had been one thing, but now it was much harder to hear her fellow students stumbling about. Well, this was going to be tricky.

With a soft huff of concentration, Alys used her illusion magic to mimic the rolling sounds around her, trying to make it sound like a wave of the objects was coming towards her. Perhaps she could use the noise to herd other students closer to her in an attempt to run away from the marbles.

------

Alys tries to mimic the noises of the marbles with her illusion magic to "herd" students towards her location.

I've been up all night, let's stay awake
Push it further, you know I'll never break

Alys

Hotaru

My Aphrodite she's a myth, she's a legend
One look at her is sure to lock you out of heaven

Sah is successful in his trip wire, but the tagging misses all but one person in the chaos that ensues as bodies fall atop one another, limbs tangle, voices cry out in a cacophony of exclamations and accusations borne of injured pride. Hotaru is glad for all the ruckus, because it conceals her laughter as she marks down another point for Sah.

Alys continues in her skillful illusion mastery, herding three students her way and successfully tagging two of them without ever risking herself by moving around where the marbles can get her. Ru marks down her last points as well, and then lifts her fingers to her mouth to whistle sharply, ending the training.

“Remove your blindfolds! Training is over. Report back to me for your scores, and your individual feedback will be available by end of day in my office.” With a wave of her hand and some magic, the marbles begin to roll back her way to be collected into buckets. Handing the score sheets to Sah and Alys as they approach, Ru winks conspiratorially to each of them. “Great job you two.” Her trainings may always be impartial, but the Valkyrie is shameless in having her favorites.

- - -

Great job! Feel free to make closing posts if you desire, otherwise I will close this thread by end of day PST.

Here is your code for turn in:

Code:

[b]NAME[/b] has completed the below Arcane Academy Advanced Magical Training to get Upgraded [b]MAGIC TYPE[/b] in the season of [b]SEASON, YEAR[/b]

[thread=]

I have never feared the storm

Sah realizes after the first yelp that he may have miscalculated slightly. His plan works as he tags those he can, but landing on his back wasn't fun. Tearing his blindfold off at Ru's signal, the Wild Thunder lets out a laugh. "Are you all ok?" After making sure that everyone who fell to his trap is alright and helping them back to their feet, he meets Alys in front of Ru.

"Thank you, Ru." Smiling at Alys he adds, "That was fun. If you ever want to train together, don't hesitate to ask." The younger Abandoned is always willing and enthusiastic to train with his fellow Halovians. Especially when they're a fellow Abandoned.

Sah