(no subject)

Academy Administration [20 Lage 4261]

Usually when Strenata and I have one of our quick thunderstorm fights, we make up in an hour or two with the air clear. This time, due to boyfriend issues, I was otherwise occupied when she came 'round again to apologize properly, and we didn't actually make up until the next morning. Which came around at its usual time, morning and makeup both. Though I am not particularly helping plan her party... Rhedwy has taken charge of that.

For those of a suspicious or indecent bent, when I say "otherwise occupied", I specifically mean "walking around the city in Orren shape with Ilottat, chatting about the administrative experiences I am having obeying the Duke."

I did manage to have the following conversation:

Me:"Dean Celandine?"

Celandine:"Oh, Sythyry! How's your hand?"

Me:"My paw is wholly recovered, and thank you for asking."

Celandine:"My secretary said you had an extremely urgent matter to discuss?"

Me:"Yes ... I need to change my course schedule fairly drastically, as soon as possible."

Celandine:"Well, the simplest and most honest approach would be to finish off this term at the end of the month, and set things up properly for next term."

Me:"That won't do, I'm afraid."

Celandine:[a bit sharply]"Master Sythyry: when one has, by means of disorganization or other distractions, managed to do poorly in a term, one simply accepts one's poor marks and endeavours to do better next term. Even if one is the half-sibling of Hezimikkinen ... or the crown prince of Daukrhame."

Me:"It's not that ... Hezimikkinen didn't want me to do it at all ... And I need a new class made."

Celandine:"Please be sensible, Master Sythyry. We cannot rearrange the Academy for you."

Me:"... and I'd rather stay in my classes as they are. I'm not doing so badly as that."

Celandine:"Do explain."

Unfortunately, I have an excellent and even powerful explanation for my change of plans. And a little meng circle with the fine writing of the duke's scribe on one side and the stern Illusidor-crafted image of the duke from his ducal seal on the other side, for those who doubt.

The Dean was suitably helpful. The Dean knows very well how to obey the Duke. "Professor Wynge would be the one who knows about nendrai the most, I should think."

Professor Wynge was duly summoned. He is a young Rassimel with lemurine styling -- he has the properly ringy tail, but very long and very thing, and he has no mask. Also his dark fur is dark green, which is just odd. He has been at Vheshrame Academy only as long as I have. He was the top student of someone very excellent in Tauvane, on Creithia. He knows how to obey the Dean, but not very well. "It's not the most convenient time for starting a new course, really. Couldn't it wait until next term?"

Me:"I wish it could, but it can't."

Wynge:"Why should the duke have a say in how we run our courses?"

Celandine:"He is the Duke of Vheshrame. This Academy gets many favors and benefits from the city-state and from the duke. We sometimes have to do a bit of work in exchange."

Wynge:"Well, the duke shan't be giving me orders, but you hired me, so I suppose you can."

Celandine:"I not merely can: in this case I do."

Much fussing was done, nonetheless. For the rest of the term, and up to the beginning of next term, I shall be studying nendrai by reading about them considerably, and by meeting every other day with Prof. Wynge.

This, I predict and even the Dean concurs, will render me unable to sit for examinations in my actual courses. Leaving me with the following:

Course	Teacher	Result
Formal Enchantment II	Prof. Trillisanguinus Spreen	She rather acridly refused to give me any special treatment up to the examination. "I don't care who your grandparent is or how many Dukes are bullying you around. I'm not going to be unfair to my other students." She is not nearly so new a professor as Prof. Wynge, and is quite capable of being obnoxious to even the dean. She did, at least, promise to be gentle on the grading of my examination.
Applied Enchantment II	Prof. Nethry Alzagond	This course doesn't have an examination in any case, and lets up for examination time. My project is already done, and it is already Of the Hairy-Nosed Wombat Headed Demonurge of Plong [sic], so there's not much more to be said.
Very Dangerous Knobbles	Prof. Vengtomerax Bloodthorn Tears-bringer	Prof. Vengtomerax was more interested in why her name was listed in the main catalog as "Vaisessasilmin." I wasn't actually doing very well in this course -- taking spellbinding and enchantment in the same term was not a good idea, and getting a cley-requiring boyfriend, although it was a good idea, didn't help matters. We agreed that I should be given the odd grade of "Nobly Excused" for the term. Prof. Celandine scowled at me about this one.
Biology of Elementals	Prof. Verra Tardamos	I haven't been doing very well in this course either. Rather, I have been doing perfectly well on all the assignments, but there haven't been as many of those as there might be, because Prof. Tardamos doesn't enjoy marking them. I have often missed this class, due to the vagaries of my Enchantment practicum. Prof. Tardamos and I had discussed this matter at the beginning of the term, and I was assured it would be of no concern, but of course those discussions were forgotten. I am to be given the grade of "Well-Reasoned", for some reason, and excused from the examination. Prof. Celandine interrogated Prof. Tardamos about the possibility of assisting Prof. Wynge, but to no avail.
Leap into this Pool of Boiling Acid	Prof. Phrass	Upon being told of the situation, Prof. Phrass proclaimed that I had, personally, leapt into this pool of boiling acid, and thus would be given the grade of "Excessively Excelled". Also Prof. Phrass volunteered that, while he is no expert in the natural history of nendrai, he is an expert in anecdotes about famous demises and other alarming events, in which nendrai are frequently featured. Or, more seriously, that he is not unacquainted with the ethology and psychology of nendrai, and that he would be pleased to take it upon himself to assist and even complement Prof. Wynge. This makes me very nervous. I expect that my fate will be taught in Leap into this Pool of Boiling Acid for dodecades to come, with first-hand anecdotes by Phrass.

So I am now sitting in the Cafe du Fronde with a well-read copy of How To Kill Nendrai, which Prof. Wynge recommended as the first book to read. I am, in fact, a bit reluctant to open it. If I open it, I may have to try to kill a nendrai.

(no subject)

Academy Administration [20 Lage 4261]

Usually when Strenata and I have one of our quick thunderstorm fights, we make up in an hour or two with the air clear. This time, due to boyfriend issues, I was otherwise occupied when she came 'round again to apologize properly, and we didn't actually make up until the next morning. Which came around at its usual time, morning and makeup both. Though I am not particularly helping plan her party... Rhedwy has taken charge of that.

For those of a suspicious or indecent bent, when I say "otherwise occupied", I specifically mean "walking around the city in Orren shape with Ilottat, chatting about the administrative experiences I am having obeying the Duke."

I did manage to have the following conversation:

Me:"Dean Celandine?"

Celandine:"Oh, Sythyry! How's your hand?"

Me:"My paw is wholly recovered, and thank you for asking."

Celandine:"My secretary said you had an extremely urgent matter to discuss?"

Me:"Yes ... I need to change my course schedule fairly drastically, as soon as possible."

Celandine:"Well, the simplest and most honest approach would be to finish off this term at the end of the month, and set things up properly for next term."

Me:"That won't do, I'm afraid."

Celandine:[a bit sharply]"Master Sythyry: when one has, by means of disorganization or other distractions, managed to do poorly in a term, one simply accepts one's poor marks and endeavours to do better next term. Even if one is the half-sibling of Hezimikkinen ... or the crown prince of Daukrhame."

Me:"It's not that ... Hezimikkinen didn't want me to do it at all ... And I need a new class made."

Celandine:"Please be sensible, Master Sythyry. We cannot rearrange the Academy for you."

Me:"... and I'd rather stay in my classes as they are. I'm not doing so badly as that."

Celandine:"Do explain."

Unfortunately, I have an excellent and even powerful explanation for my change of plans. And a little meng circle with the fine writing of the duke's scribe on one side and the stern Illusidor-crafted image of the duke from his ducal seal on the other side, for those who doubt.

The Dean was suitably helpful. The Dean knows very well how to obey the Duke. "Professor Wynge would be the one who knows about nendrai the most, I should think."

Professor Wynge was duly summoned. He is a young Rassimel with lemurine styling -- he has the properly ringy tail, but very long and very thing, and he has no mask. Also his dark fur is dark green, which is just odd. He has been at Vheshrame Academy only as long as I have. He was the top student of someone very excellent in Tauvane, on Creithia. He knows how to obey the Dean, but not very well. "It's not the most convenient time for starting a new course, really. Couldn't it wait until next term?"

Me:"I wish it could, but it can't."

Wynge:"Why should the duke have a say in how we run our courses?"

Celandine:"He is the Duke of Vheshrame. This Academy gets many favors and benefits from the city-state and from the duke. We sometimes have to do a bit of work in exchange."

Wynge:"Well, the duke shan't be giving me orders, but you hired me, so I suppose you can."

Celandine:"I not merely can: in this case I do."

Much fussing was done, nonetheless. For the rest of the term, and up to the beginning of next term, I shall be studying nendrai by reading about them considerably, and by meeting every other day with Prof. Wynge.

This, I predict and even the Dean concurs, will render me unable to sit for examinations in my actual courses. Leaving me with the following:

Course	Teacher	Result
Formal Enchantment II	Prof. Trillisanguinus Spreen	She rather acridly refused to give me any special treatment up to the examination. "I don't care who your grandparent is or how many Dukes are bullying you around. I'm not going to be unfair to my other students." She is not nearly so new a professor as Prof. Wynge, and is quite capable of being obnoxious to even the dean. She did, at least, promise to be gentle on the grading of my examination.
Applied Enchantment II	Prof. Nethry Alzagond	This course doesn't have an examination in any case, and lets up for examination time. My project is already done, and it is already Of the Hairy-Nosed Wombat Headed Demonurge of Plong [sic], so there's not much more to be said.
Very Dangerous Knobbles	Prof. Vengtomerax Bloodthorn Tears-bringer	Prof. Vengtomerax was more interested in why her name was listed in the main catalog as "Vaisessasilmin." I wasn't actually doing very well in this course -- taking spellbinding and enchantment in the same term was not a good idea, and getting a cley-requiring boyfriend, although it was a good idea, didn't help matters. We agreed that I should be given the odd grade of "Nobly Excused" for the term. Prof. Celandine scowled at me about this one.
Biology of Elementals	Prof. Verra Tardamos	I haven't been doing very well in this course either. Rather, I have been doing perfectly well on all the assignments, but there haven't been as many of those as there might be, because Prof. Tardamos doesn't enjoy marking them. I have often missed this class, due to the vagaries of my Enchantment practicum. Prof. Tardamos and I had discussed this matter at the beginning of the term, and I was assured it would be of no concern, but of course those discussions were forgotten. I am to be given the grade of "Well-Reasoned", for some reason, and excused from the examination. Prof. Celandine interrogated Prof. Tardamos about the possibility of assisting Prof. Wynge, but to no avail.
Leap into this Pool of Boiling Acid	Prof. Phrass	Upon being told of the situation, Prof. Phrass proclaimed that I had, personally, leapt into this pool of boiling acid, and thus would be given the grade of "Excessively Excelled". Also Prof. Phrass volunteered that, while he is no expert in the natural history of nendrai, he is an expert in anecdotes about famous demises and other alarming events, in which nendrai are frequently featured. Or, more seriously, that he is not unacquainted with the ethology and psychology of nendrai, and that he would be pleased to take it upon himself to assist and even complement Prof. Wynge. This makes me very nervous. I expect that my fate will be taught in Leap into this Pool of Boiling Acid for dodecades to come, with first-hand anecdotes by Phrass.

So I am now sitting in the Cafe du Fronde with a well-read copy of How To Kill Nendrai, which Prof. Wynge recommended as the first book to read. I am, in fact, a bit reluctant to open it. If I open it, I may have to try to kill a nendrai.

(no subject)

Originally published at Sythyry. Please leave any comments there.

Academy Administration [20 Lage 4261]

Usually when Strenata and I have one of our quick
thunderstorm fights, we make up in an hour or two with the
air clear. This time, due to boyfriend issues, I was
otherwise occupied when she came ’round again to apologize
properly, and we didn’t actually make up until the next
morning. Which came around at its usual time, morning and
makeup both. Though I am not particularly helping plan her
party… Rhedwy has taken charge of that.

For those of a suspicious or indecent bent, when I say
“otherwise occupied”, I specifically mean “walking around
the city in Orren shape with Ilottat, chatting about the
administrative experiences I am having obeying the Duke.”

I did manage to have the following conversation:

Me:“Dean Celandine?”

Celandine:“Oh, Sythyry!

( Error: Irreparable invalid markup in entry. Raw contents behind the cut. )

(no subject)

Originally published at Sythyry. Please leave any comments there.

Academy Administration [20 Lage 4261]

Usually when Strenata and I have one of our quick
thunderstorm fights, we make up in an hour or two with the
air clear. This time, due to boyfriend issues, I was
otherwise occupied when she came ’round again to apologize
properly, and we didn’t actually make up until the next
morning. Which came around at its usual time, morning and
makeup both. Though I am not particularly helping plan her
party… Rhedwy has taken charge of that.

For those of a suspicious or indecent bent, when I say
“otherwise occupied”, I specifically mean “walking around
the city in Orren shape with Ilottat, chatting about the
administrative experiences I am having obeying the Duke.”

I did manage to have the following conversation:

Me:“Dean Celandine?”

Celandine:“Oh, Sythyry!

( Error: Irreparable invalid markup in entry. Raw contents behind the cut. )

OOC – supplement quiz.

Originally published at Sythyry. Please leave any comments there.

Disclaimer: This is all about a work in progress, or
rather a work which isn’t in progress any more but might get
to be in progress soon. Anything mentioned here is
tentative.

I’ve reread the stuff we wrote a while ago for the regional
supplement. I’m quite pleased with it. It’s very much like
an ethnography/travelogue of Sythyry’s culture, or at least
the culture next door. There’s neat stuff about, oh,
farming villages, and several kinds of prime/nonprime
relations, and advanced enchanting, and skyboats, and
nobility, and opera, and all like that. Some parts are
heavy with rules, and some have a few rules, and most are
just pure culture. Like the main book, there are lots of
epigraphs, snippets of this or that person talking
in-world.

But making it real will be a lot of work. We’ve got
contractual obligations with Padwolf which cut down our
options. We’ll have to find willing artists, and pay them
ourselves. We’ll have to do layout ourselves — the layout
on World Tree was a major problem, and we can’t devote
anything like that much time or money to it again.

And it’s not going to make a profit for us. It probably
won’t even break even, even if things go fantastically
… well, unless we do it on the ultra-cheap, in which case
it’ll look like crap. Or at least like text without much art.

So … I’m not quite looking for advice here. I’m trying to
gauge your interest and enthusiasm.

[Poll #497578]

OOC – supplement quiz.

Originally published at Sythyry. Please leave any comments there.

Disclaimer: This is all about a work in progress, or
rather a work which isn’t in progress any more but might get
to be in progress soon. Anything mentioned here is
tentative.

I’ve reread the stuff we wrote a while ago for the regional
supplement. I’m quite pleased with it. It’s very much like
an ethnography/travelogue of Sythyry’s culture, or at least
the culture next door. There’s neat stuff about, oh,
farming villages, and several kinds of prime/nonprime
relations, and advanced enchanting, and skyboats, and
nobility, and opera, and all like that. Some parts are
heavy with rules, and some have a few rules, and most are
just pure culture. Like the main book, there are lots of
epigraphs, snippets of this or that person talking
in-world.

But making it real will be a lot of work. We’ve got
contractual obligations with Padwolf which cut down our
options. We’ll have to find willing artists, and pay them
ourselves. We’ll have to do layout ourselves — the layout
on World Tree was a major problem, and we can’t devote
anything like that much time or money to it again.

And it’s not going to make a profit for us. It probably
won’t even break even, even if things go fantastically
… well, unless we do it on the ultra-cheap, in which case
it’ll look like crap. Or at least like text without much art.

So … I’m not quite looking for advice here. I’m trying to
gauge your interest and enthusiasm.

[Poll #497578]