The Tower Academy: Second Day

This is the OOC for this roleplay: Casting Call and OOC

This is the RP's first part: The Tower Academy


This is the thread for the second day and ongoing story-telling. You can post the bios here and start with the roleplaying right away.
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Katamari Roller said:

Name: Cellabrine Ardaquellis
Race: Half-Elf/Half-Unknown (suspected Elemental)
Age: Unknown (estimated as 2000+)
Height: 6'
Weight: 120lbs
Hair: A mostly dull white, rarely shiny even under the sun, collected into a bun on her head. Some strands frame her "tanned" face.
Eyes: Both her cornea and iris seem to be the same shimmering oceanic color. It is difficult to explain, but the best one can explain this, is by saying that there is a clean, blue ocean in her eyes. The "water" in them changes constantly, at times seeming shallow, at times deep...
Title: Professor of Elementalism


Description: Cellabrine (although she prefers to be called Cella) is a tanned-skin Elf, of the High Elf race, or so is presumed. Her ears are long and show the passage of time, reaching more than 15cm. Her strange tan, similar to spotted coffee, is a matter of high controversy among her own species, who would go as far as to say she is a Drow. Her white hair seems to corroborate this theory. Still, the simple white robe she wears is uncommon for a Drow's tastes, and her calm, friendly demeanour puzzles any woud-be investigator further. Her body, hidden under her simple robe, can be made out to be slender, with her breasts and hips subtly prominent.


Backstory: Much is supposed about Cellabrine, or just guessed. Despite her sincerity and honesty, her habit of moving around all the time has made making out any sort of biography from the information she provides either impossible, or simply incomplete. What is known with all certainty, though, is that she is probably the greatest elementalist alive.

The earlier recordings of her activities point out to her being involved in the Elves/Dwarves war that took place 1500 years ago, and most versions make her a Captain of the Royal Guard, which means she was at least five hundred years old by then. In that time, it is relatively safe to assume she had command over two of the six Major Elements. In this case, Life and Water. Many songs abound of her "ocean-like eyes", supporting this theory.

(A note on this information should be made: While Elementalists abound, it is difficult for them to keep the Elements they use in a "balance" of sorts, since most Elemental magic is affected by the user, thus an Elementalist with a fiery temper has a greater domain of Fire. And even if in a balance, the usage of Elements in such dramatic displays as it is suspected Cella performed is, to say the least, difficult. Elements are hardly single-minded tools, and it takes an incredibly powerful Elementalist to keep the Elements in check after unleashing them.)

From that time on, her trail is absolutely lost to any self-respecting historian. The last time she was seen in Elven lands, was when she departed for "knowledge matters", which in the Elven language often means an Elf left to widen his or her knowledge in a certain matter. It is absolutely assumed that, since then to this day, she managed to dominate Fire, Wind, and Earth. Many legends that can easily be corroborated by her unusual eyes point this fact out, Cella appearing as a ghost, spirit, or demon depending on the locals' folklore. From a ghost that aided a human sea vessel to brave a storm by controlling the winds, to a devil that burnt down the Orcish Affarret stronghold using its fire breath, and even a fay that saved a small town from being swallowed by a sudden flood.

Her reasons for coming to teach are mostly unknown, not that anyone besides the headmaster knows that she is coming. Still, Cella's background is so mixed with legends and general lack of knowledge, not to mention vagueness, that her anonimity is guaranteed but for the oldest historians. The headmaster seems to hope that she will share her knowledge of the Elements with the students, and thus contribute to a widening of horizons in the Tower Academy's curricular plans.

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Cella opened her eyes to the morning sun, and smiled. A flood of memories came to her, of many places where she had woken up in the same fashion. Her body lying on top of a tree's branches, the sun warming up her body and the only piece of clothing she usually wore. A white, thin robe loose around her curves. The robe was messily spread around her together with her white hair. The only extra piece she wore for cold temperatures was a white capote hanging off a branch to a side.

She stood up slowly, rubbing her eyes to chase away the sleepiness still in her head. Cellabrine really looked forward to today's class, when the students' silver seeds would open and reveal their totem elements, those that throughout their lives would prove the most reliable to their cause.

Cella headed for the lake not two miles away, this time choosing to walk rather than throw herself into an air current, as she usually did. The feeling of the green grass under her bare feet tickled her skin, and she smiled. The Academy's huge silhouette stood a distance away, and she could already see the kitchens' chimneys spew dark smoke into the sky. A magnificent academy it was, to have students of all races, ages and genders in it. And Cella had had the pleasure to meet a couple of those living in it yesterday, before having to fill in some paperwork and accomodate herself in the prairie. She was the only teacher to have her home out of the academy, and on such a visible place too. She had been told a couple of them lived in the nearby hills, inside caves carved into them. A dwarf, and a halfling, who felt more at home underground.

When she reached the lake's edge, Cellabrine marvelled at the clean reflection of the sunlight on its waters. Shedding her white robe onto the grass, she stepped into the water completely naked, her tanned skin making her look like a tiny drop of coffee falling into the water. Sitting down, Cella summoned a small but constant fire to heat the water around herself, and enjoyed the change of temperature as it slowly came, steam rising from the water a few minutes later. Now, as the steam hung around her like a bank of fog and seemed to drown her senses a bit, she wondered about the students. What elements would the seeds reveal this morning? What would be the most dominant? What would be the least? Would the half-dragon confirm the old dragon-fire coupling, or would she show a different one?

This was her second day at the Tower Academy, and Cellabrine looked forward to the rest of the year, and perhaps the next if she decided to stay...

Name: Caliandra
Profession: Teacher: Herbalism/Alchemy
Race: Dragon
Sub-class: Black Dragon
Age: Appears to be 28 (Around 4,200)
Height: In Elven form around 5'6", (close to 20ft in True form)
Weight: 115 lbs. (2.4 tons)
Hair: Black (Black scales in her natural form)
Eyes: Green (Green)
Description: Caliandra, in Elven form looks no older than 28, and to go along with 'youthful age' are good looks and a once in a generation mind. Her hair is a raven black and falls just a tad lower than her chin and slightly above her neckline. Her skin is fair and tan, and her eyes are a deep sea-blue. When she's out-and-about at night her eyes tend to glow slightly; but rarely does anyone see her at night. Caliandra likes to keep herself in shape, often going off and about to exercise if she's not studying or teaching class.

In her natural form, that of a black dragon, she is approximately 20 feet tall and a little over 36 feet from head to the tip of her tail. Her scales are black like the night sky and have a polished appearance. While not as large as most black dragons typically are, she's no push-over either, and excels in the air far better than on land.

Clothing: Her clothing reflects her inner nature, wearing a grey long-sleeved silk shirt underneath a black vest. She wears a very dark blue sash around her waist and wears black pants and knee-high boots. Sometimes she is known to wear a cloak, but for the most part she prefers not to. Caliandra does, however, own less somber regalia as well, among her favorites being an elegant white dress with sparkling gems. For more special occasions she has been known to wear it, at banquets and the like.

Backstory: Caliandra is one of the last black dragons left in the world, having survived the onslaught that rogue bands of humans had incurred on her species. The last black dragon she saw was well over 3,000 years ago, and after that time she had kept herself hidden for a good thousand years. She doesn't feel any ill-will towards Humans, knowing that the faults of one shouldn't be put on the many. Caliandra was always strong-hearted and a loyal friend to any whom she knew personally, and unlike the other black dragons, she took to learning magic and ways to study it. Perhaps it's her affinity for magic that keeps her so young. At any rate, she is perhaps the youngest appearing teacher at the Tower, although in reality she surpasses many in age.

A personal acquaintance that she had made over the years had told her of a place she could go to where she wouldn't have to worry about being hunted down or anything. And so alongside the magician they made their way to the Academy, and Caliandra instantly fell in love with it. She would spend so much of her life devoted to helping it grow, and over the years she had been accepted as one of its teachers.

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Relaxing in her chair, Caliandra looked around her now empty classroom. The students had quickly piled into their seats earlier that day and were just as quick to head out into the sun. It was a nice day out, and with the windows open she could feel the gentle breeze pour into her room. It was only the second day of classes, although she wasn't required to start lecturing so soon. Caliandra enjoyed the company of her students, however, and so she decided that it would good to start at the same time as her peers.

Standing to her feet, she moved around the desks and picked up pieces of parchment and random tidbits that they left behind. She had little else to do, and sorting them out she set aside lecture notes and tossed away the random scribbles. Deciding that it was time for a break, as she had little else to do that day, Caliandra opened the doors outside and stood on her steps. Sitting down, she watched various people moving about on the grounds of the Academy, flying if they were able to, dueling, whatever. It was good to see them so energetic, as the Academy had become a sort of magnet to all forms of life now.

Having quite a good amount of time to kill, Caliandra wandered over to some of the students and watched as they played around with their new skills. A few had tried to set her on fire but she was a little bit out of their league. She smiled at them as they tried, and encouraged them to continue practicing.

Name: Lyra na M'doch

Race: Full blooded dragon

Age: 176 (appearing 19 human years)

Personality: Intelligent and open, Lyra loves to laugh and have fun but she can also be serious and her studies usually come before everything else. Once the work is done however she loves to play and will even go so far - with friends - to give those daring enough, short rides while in her natural form. She's almost too honest and has a strong sense of honor thanks to her father's teachings.

Appearance: Like all dragons she can appear in her natural form or in a more humanoid form for the purposes of concealment and mating.
Humanoid: Tall and willowy she moves with the natural grace of a born hunter in her humanoid form. Black spiral curls sway down to her waist framing alabaster skin that seems almost luminescent in the way of a pearl or shell and when she shifts just right you can make out the outline of scales just below the surface. Not bothering to fully hide her nature ( though she can appear fully human if she wishes ) her robes have openings in the back for the coal black wings that erupt from her shoulders and her jade green eyes carry an oblong pupil instead of a circular one.
Dragon: In her natural state her coloring follows her. Her main body is a startling white adapting her perfectly to the northern wastes of snow and ice her mother originated from except for the wings and neck ridges. A genetic gift from her father her wings remain pitch black leaving her ill suited for concealment in any setting.

Backstory: Contrary to the popular conception of angry, evil, dragons Lyra was born into a loving household to parents who doted on her form an early age. Born to the rarest of the rare, a snow dragon, and a black mountain dragon, she was much sought after as a mate among her own people even from an early age but with their long lifespans there is little need for a dragon to mate early however and many don't even start looking until well into their 200+ year.

Like most dragons she has a love of the sky and could spend her entire day among the thermals if she was allowed but unlike many she was also interested in the magical side of her heritage beyond just her ability to appear human. She had some basic healing skills as well as some control over basic elements and with her natural gifts she easily passed the Academy's entrance exams and a generous donation from her father's treasury ensured she got rooms large enough for her to sleep in her natural form.

Mostly she's seen roaming the halls in her intiates robes, but when she's not dressed for school she prefers to go barefoot and wears only supple buckskin breeches and halter type tops, of the same smooth material, so that her wings are never impeded. She can only fly short distances in her human form, however, as it's musculature is simply not as strong as that of her natural form. Outside of the Academy buildings or in her own room she is most often found in her natural dragon form unless she is working on something for one of her classes.

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The morning sun streaming in through her balcony finally woke Lyra the next morning. The day before had been a rush of excitement and learning and she was eager to continue her classes. She particularly wanted to see what the silver seed she'd been given in elementalism would reveal. In her heart of hearts she was hoping that her main element would be air instead of fire. Fire just seemed to obvious and she's always enjoyed flying more than she had breathing fire.

Water wouldn't be bad either. After flying her second favorite place to be was the water. She could swim for hours and never grow bored. Yes, water would be good as well.

Clutching the seed to her she grinned as she looked down at it twinkling in the morning sun, "You will be kind ot me won't you?" she asked it and then laughed softly at her own silliness.

Looking around her she found a small pouch to safely put it in before she changed shape to her natural form. The thought of swimming had reminded her of the lake and she decided a morning swim would be a good idea. Carefully she looped the pouch around one of her neck ridges so it wouldn't fall off before leaping from her balcony with a glorious roar. For a moment she simply plummeted, savoring the feel of the air whipping about her body, before her wings snapped out and she sped across the ground toward the lake.

From high above she could see that someone else was already there and felt her lips curl back into a draconic grin. Nothing like company in the morning. Tucking her wings tight to her sides she aimed for the deepest part of the lake and plummeted, straight as an arrow, into it.

The chill of it around her was a delightful shock and she finally came back up with a low rumbling of laughter as she shook water droplets from her head and turned a sharp toothed smile to her teacher.

Cellabrine's eyes were closed as she enjoyed the steam, her ears drooped a bit low. A blush painted her cheek in a slightly red tone as the temperature of the water rose a bit more, and the mist around her became denser. It was almost like a sauna, and it felt so good... if only she had soap... Cella had heard wonders of a specific brand, and was one of the few things she was truly eager to try these days.

A shift in the winds made her ears twitch, and she opened her eyes narrowly... right as something heavy and fast plunged into the water. The sound it made was like that a deafening thunder, and a wave of water rushed at Cella. It caught her completely by surprise, and splashed her face, making her fall onto her back even as the tide threw her a couple feet away, still within the water but with her upper body above its surface.

She blinked, clearing the water away from her eyes even as she tried to make out what the huge black silhouettes in front of her. But, there was something white between them. As her vision cleared, Cellabrine finally saw that it was a dragon. And it was laughing. And this dragon felt familiar to her...

Cella's lips curled into a smile as she covered her breasts with her arms. The dragon's identity... the wings... had she seen those wings before? Yes, yes she had, but her memory was a bit bad.

"Hmmm... good morning to you too...!" Cella laughed too, masking her lack of knowledge a bit, but truly entertained by the prank. It was good to know that the Academy's students treated the teachers more like friends than like... 'masters', as she remembered one of the other students calling her yesterday.

"Hmmm... good morning to you too...!"

Still chuckling Lyra tossed the pouch held in her teeth up into the air before shifting to her more human shape and catching it once more before it hit the water. Looping the thong around her neck she grinned at her Professor while staying back in deep enough water to cover her naked body.

"Good morning Professor Ardaquellis!" she called with no hint of an apology for splashing the older woman. She knew it would have been polite to apologize but they would both have known it was a lie since she'd deliberately plunged into the lake close enough to splash the teacher.

"Beautiful morning isn't it?" she asked with another laugh of delight before turning and plunging back down into the water, her shape changing once more to give herself the lung capacity of a dragon. In her natural form she could hold her breath for quite some time which gave her a unique perspective on her water dwelling brethren.

Cella smiled condescendently, not taking offense at Lyra's actions. She was young, she should enjoy the body and mind she had at the moment for as long as she could. Cella was conscious of the changes that came to both with age, in all species, even if dragons took longer to suffer them given their longevity.

Her eyes, as full of water as the lake, inmediately had their attention absorbed by the pouch... Lyra. Yes, that was her name, now she recognized her voice. Lyra had a pouch with herself, and Cella could imagine what it was. There was a scent in the air that she picked up, and a tickle behind her ears, that told her Lyra's seed was maturing. That made Cellabrine's heart swell with joy, and a bit of pride at how well her efforts were already paying out. Being listened to by someone else was so gratifying...

Then, the youngling plunged into the water again, and Cella felt a tremor under her belly, a faint sensation around the parts of her body that were still under the shiny surface of the lake. Cella wondered what it was owed to, before remembering past experiences that were not quite as pleasant as this one was turning out to be. A great volume of water had expanded suddenly, and that could only mean that something had been submerged into the water... or appeared there.

Just in case, Cella stood up, still covering her breasts with one arm, and stared into the lake calmly. Yes, her eyes, naturally and magically tuned to her own totem element, picked out a shadow under the water, huge and of a very draconic silhouette...

Name: Jessica Tamlin
Race: Human (Female)
Age: 31
Height: 5'9
Weight: 121 lbs.
Hair: Brown with some highlights
Eyes: Jessica is one of the few humans with Heterochromia Iridium, or the presence of different color eyes in the same person. As such, her right eye is a very deep shade of blue while her left eye is lavender. It was said that humans with 'abnormal' traits were destined for great things, though so far nothing of great importance has really happened in her own life that could be considered worthy of legend.
Title: Student

Description: A pretty average woman from an outside perspective, Jessica stands at about 5'9", although to some she seems a little taller. Short brown hair adorns her head, giving her more of a boyish look, but she is nonetheless a woman and has the curves to prove it. Her skin is fairly tan and has no blemishes, though a few small scars here and there along her arms and legs. Probably the most unique feature she has are her eyes, which are two different colors. No one is sure why she has been given this extremely rare human trait, going so far as to say that she is destined for things beyond her control. If there is such a future, Jessica has yet to experience it.

Clothing: While at the academy Jessica wears fairly simple clothing: long but comfortable shirts of various colors (depending on her mood), simple leather belts and matching pants or a skirt. Around her neck is a simple stringed necklace with a crescent-shaped moon pendant hanging off the end (a gift from her grandparents). She owns no 'magical' items, as her experience with it are fairly limited.

While up in the air on her mount, Jessica wears light clothes (shirts, comfortable pants) underneath a light ring mail suit of armor which covers the essential parts of her body. This modified suit gives her plenty of space to move around while not feeling the heaviness that a more traditional set would instill upon her, and yet still providing ample protection if the situation arose.

Personality: Extremely proud and hardworking, Jessica does not take criticism lightly if they're aimed at her gender or abilities. She does, however, go about her life with a smile on her face and her heart often makes the decisions for her, rather than her brain. This doesn't mean that she isn't smart, rather that she lets her instincts guide her actions instead of using critical analysis to make her moves.

Backstory: Jessica grew up in a small village called Elmsbrook, which lies just a few miles outside of the main capital, Saern. Her father Michael was the chief engineer that helped rebuild most of the city, spending a great deal of time constructing the waterways and major roads. When the government refused to pay the workers for their service, he quit his post and left the city, taking up residence in Elmsbrook. Her mother Dana grew up in Elmsbrook, teaching history and culture to the children that were raised there. She used to work at one of the taverns, however when she married Michael she could no longer divide her time between the household and her job. Once Jessica had grown old enough, Dana no longer needed to focus her attention on the house, and so she took up a position at the local schoolhouse. Jessica had grown up under the care of her mother for most of her early childhood, learning about her families history and their ties to other people around their village. From her father she heard stories of the great soldiers and warriors that fought for their safety, and it instilled upon her a dream to one day take up arms and fight alongside those brave men. At the time, however, women were encouraged to live more domestic lifestyles, and it was preferred that young adult men pursue a career in the military.

Jess, however, wouldn't let such outdated traditions keep her from obtaining her desires. At the age of 19 she went into the city to prove herself, and although she was initially denied entrance into the Royal academy at first, a few years later she would be allowed to train, as new laws from the government reformed the old codes and removed such outdated and oftentimes sexist laws from the record books. During her time spent at the academy, Jessica was recommended to train with the Gryphon Riders, a group of soldiers that specialized in air combat and reconnaissance. As per regulations, she was given her own person mount, a snowy-white gryphon she named Delin. The bond she and Delin formed would last for the rest of their lives, as each of the riders was encouraged to form a unique relationship between themselves and their personal mounts, which had an intelligence all on their own.

At the age of 31 Jessica took some personal time off, and went to spend time with her relatives. In a small and fairly remote village (easily accessible through flying) her grandparents had decided it was time to tell her of their own history. She learned some rather unsettling information. Apparently her grandfather used to be part of a small society of magicians that traveled around the known world, though he would not go into great detail as to what the performed. Her grandmother was once a teacher at a fairly prestigious university, a place that all sorts of races came together to study and refine their abilities. They told Jessica that she could go there, if she so desired, but they also told her that the life she knew would change entirely. She was entering a new world, so to speak, one that placed the elements over the sword.

It took her a little while to come up with a decision, and she ended up taking the advice of her grandparents, seeking admission into the Tower Academy.

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"We're so proud of you, Jessica."
"I know, grandfather. And don't worry, I'll be fine." she said with a smile as she tugged on the reins to her flying mount, Delin kicking up its wings as they shot up into the air. Within a few moments their house disappeared into the horizon, and she was on her way to the Academy. Jessica had tried to picture what it looked like, and in her mind she envisioned a shining white tower with all sorts of fabled creatures flying around it. Well, she would find out soon enough, at any rate.

*a few days later*

Jessica looked upon a shining tower far off into the background, and in her heart she knew that she had arrived at the right place. Because it was such a sunny day, as she drew closer to the tower she could start to make out most of its features, including some of the banners that blew in the gentle wind. For some odd reason she felt at home... at peace rather. She pulled gently on the reins, Delin slowing down almost to a halt as she took in the view.

"Well... there it is." she said, mostly to herself but her mount had responded with a nod of its head. Flapping its white wings, the two remained suspended in the air until they finally took off in the towers direction, arriving within a matter of minutes. She could see a good lot of people moving about on the ground, and sure enough as she landed she could tell that they were not normal beings. Some were playing with fire as it was a toy, others with wings on their backs and some weren't human at all. These were the creatures of story book... and here she was about to live with them for a year.

Suddenly she gasped in shock as one of the men there had aimed what appeared to be a large fire blast at a young woman who was sitting down. But what shocked her even more was that she not only lived through it but was laughing.

What is this place... she thought to herself as she looked on.

Caliandra chuckled as the younger man continued to barrage her with small pyro blasts, the flames harmlessly dancing around her form until they blew away into the air. She could tell he was getting stronger, but much more practice was needed before he mastered his spells. Turning her head to the side, Caliandra noticed that someone had been watching them, and she saw the look of surprise on the womans face.

"That's it for today." she said without turning her head, her eyes looking straight at Jessica. Standing to her feet, Caliandra walked over to her and stopped a few feet infront of her mount. The gryphon had made a strange noise at her but it didn't seem frightened, so she figured that it was professionally trained. Placing a hand on its beak, she gently rubbed it before sliding her hand over its feathered body, the beast responded favorably.

"Hi there." she said, smiling up at her. Caliandra noticed that Jessica had a different set of eye colors, though she figured it wasn't due to being human, as she had come across dozens of species with the same trait.

"I don't recall seeing you here before. Are you a new student?" she asked.

Twisting and rolling under the water Lyra delighted in the feel of it. Unlike the thermals that buoyed her body when she flew the water was slick and heavy, content to press her down deeper into it's depths. It wasn't an oppressive feeling however but a welcoming one and she savored it while she could. Still eventually she had to rise back up through the depths to breath and as she shot upward and clear of the water she snapped out her wings raining down a small hail of shimmering droplets though she'd been cautious to make sure she didn't splash her teacher this time.

Spiraling up into the air she roared her delight in the freedom of the air around her and let her gaze roam over the school. She didn't see anything unusual at first, just other student toying and learning with each other. Some sparring was going on as well - it was a gorgeous day for it after all - which made her give a toothy, draconic grin.

It was when she spotted the gryphon that her curiosity was piqued and she flew toward the front of the school wondering if it was wild or tamed as a beast to be ridden.

Jessica, sitting atop of Delin, watched as the woman had approached her. She was dressed in dark clothing, but she seemed friendly. Her suspicions were correct when in a cheerful voice she had said hello.

"Hi." Jessica said meekly, unsure of exactly what she should do or say. The woman had approached her without hesitation, going so far as to pet Delin. The snowy white gryphon had nestled its head under her hand, enjoying the gentle petting.

"Yes... yes I'm new here." Jessica responded, staring at the woman as if she was under some sort of spell. It was just that she had never really met anyone that wasn't human, and Caliandra was definitely not human. The pointy ears gave that much away... not to mention the fact that she had just gone through a fire storm, so to speak.

"My names Jessica Tamlin." she said, remembering her manners and introducing herself. She lifted herself up off her saddle and sliding off the side her feet came to rest on the ground. Delin barely moved, however, instead folding its wings at its sides as it figured it wouldn't be going up in the air any time soon.

sorry for short post

Caliandra continued to pet the gryphon, marveled at the tameness of the beautiful creature. The feathers were white as snow and the creatures eyes were like twin emeralds. Simply wonderful, she thought to herself.

"Well then, welcome to the Academy. My names Caliandra, and I'm one of the teachers here. I'm sure you'll get to know quite a few people while you're with us." she said with a smile. Jessica had at that time dismounted off of her beast, moving along side of it before coming to stand before the professor.

"And what is his name? Or is it a she? I can never quite tell with these things." she said, in referral to Delin. The gryphon had folded its wings at its sides, its head looking around at its surroundings before facing forward again.

"Thank you, and this is Delin. He's been in my care for a few years now." she said proudly, her hand gently touching one of its wings. Jessica wasn't sure where she would be without this loyal creature. On many daring missions he had been her only companion, and had saved her life on more than one occasion. Her eyes were suddenly distracted by something that was moving in the air nearby, and she saw from a distance a fairly large figure, white in body but with very dark wings.

"What is that thing?" Jessica asked Caliandra as she noticed it was moving in their direction. Delin had noticed it too, by that time, and although it wasn't acting aggressively it was trained to be cautious of other beasts that moved in the air.

"Is that a.... is that a dragon?" she asked Caliandra, her voice a little hesitant, though the beast still a good ways off from them, but moving with incredible speed.

Dragons were truly marvelous creatures. Cellabrine had always had an affinity to dragons... she liked them because the very few she had met had been quite civil and wise, and taught her things they were not really forced to teach her, which couldn't be said about other beasts or intelligent species.

Their majestic size and fluid movements also added to her admiration of them, and watching Lyra play around like this was an incredible experience. Who would have said such terrible beasts could also have fun in such a childish way? Ah... but they were not 'beasts', and that thought made Cella blush with shame. Just because they didn't walk on two legs or have smooth skin, it didn't mean they lacked a brain, or manners, or intelligence.

Suddenly, Lyra's attention seemed to be attracted to someone else, and she took off. Cella could see a winged shape in the sky, quite... like a sphynx, or a chimera. A four-legged body with wings... wasn't there another creature who had that kind of physiology? But for the life of her, Cella could not remember. For an elf, she had a dreadful memory, something which brought her no small displeasure. Worrying her lower lip, she stepped out of the water and hurried to take up her robes, not really noticing or caring that she was still wet. Tying her hair up in a bun as usual was the only concession she made to her appearance as she hurried to see what news this messenger from the skies brought... but she walked. Cella didn't want to get a cold by using the wind, with her hair and most of her skin still wet after wrapping herself in her white robe.

Circling above the newcomers it became clear that the gryphon was tamed which made Lyra feel a jolt of sadness. Such noble creatures simply shouldn't be tamed and trained like dogs. It just struck her as being wrong somehow to subject such a creature to a saddle and reigns as if it was nothing more than a large horse.

Shaking her head she pulled in her circles tighter, dropping toward the ground and the newcomers. She wanted to see what sort of person would have the audacity to domesticate a gryphon.To her surprise it appeared to be a young girl and, to Lyra at least, she looked rather timid. Not at all what Lyra expected of someone riding such an amazing beast.

At the last moment she shifted her shape and landed lightly on her two human feet, her dark wings wrapping around her body to cover her nakedness in deference to the fact that it simply seemed to bother most humans. Instead of introducing herself right away however she held her hand out to the gryphon letting him get her scent so he'd know she wasn't a danger if they were both in the sky at some point.

Little could hurt a dragon but gryphon's could fly and they had claws sharp enough to slice through dragon wings and Lyra wasn't willing to risk such a thing happening to her own precious wings.

Caliandra saw the look on her friends face and it made her chuckle a little. Apparently this girl hadn't seen one before, save for in books perhaps.

"Yes, that's a real dragon. You're in the story books now, kiddo." she said as Jessica continued to watch the dragon descend down to them. There was only one dragon that had such a look to it, a white body with darkened wings: Lyra. Soon she descended down to where they were standing, and right before the mighty creature landed she changed shape, turning into a more humanoid being with her wings folded over her naked form.

"You should carry a spare set of clothing." she said with a smile as Lyra moved over to the gryphon. Delin had looked at her curiously and gently nipped at her hand to get a feel for who the newcomer was. Apparently Lyra had passed the test when he nestled his head against her hand.

"Apparently." she said in a low voice right before the dragon flew down towards them. She watched in awe as it descended to the ground, its dark wings moving to keep itself balanced. She was taken by surprise when it changed shapes all of a sudden, landing right in front of them as someone that resembled a human or an Elf, yet had some obvious differences. Whatever she was, a resounding beauty was noticeable in her face and the way she walked.

"You should carry a spare set of clothing." Caliandra had said when the woman walked over to Delin. When it became obvious that her companion accepted the presence of the newcomer, she became a little more at ease. Delin had a strange prejudice against foreigners, but for some odd reason this place and the people here made them feel more accepting.

"My names Delin. No, sorry that's Delin, I'm Jessica." she said, stumbling with her words as she introduced herself and her gryphon.

"You should carry a spare set of clothing."

Looking up at one of her Professors Lyra just gave a small shrug and laughed softly at the comment on her particular state of dress, "Why? My wings cover me and there's really no where to carry them properly while I'm flying."

Feeling the gryphon nip at her finger she laughed once more and patted his beak as his head nuzzled into her hand. Apparently he felt he wasn't getting enough attention and she found herself scratching up and behind his ears as if he were a large cat which he seemed to enjoy well enough. He was a beautiful creature.

"My names Delin. No, sorry that's Delin, I'm Jessica."

The way the human girl stumbled over her words made Lyra smile and she held out a hand to her knowing that shaking hands was a human custom on meeting, "Lyra na M'doch. I apologize for my bad manners but I've not actually seen a gryphon before, only heard of them. He's lovely."

As she spoke the gryphon nudged at her hand again making her laugh and reach up to scratch his beak once more, "And apparently a bit of an attention whore."

Jessica felt a little color rise to her cheeks as the two lightly chatted about the one woman not wearing any clothes. But they were at least comfortable with the situation. Apparently she would have to get used to the difference in lifestyle here. Her grandparents warned her that it wasn't a normal place to be at... and they were right.

Lyra had extended her hand to her, and Jessica shook it in return.

"Thank you, it's nice to meet you both." she said and then smiled. Delin had been soaking up the attention, nestling his head underneath her hand and letting her pet her soft spots.

"Yes, he's probably my best friend in the entire world. He's not too fond of strangers but he seems to like you." she said honestly.

"You'll have to excuse my nervousness. I've never really... well this is a first for me." she said.

"Yes, he's probably my best friend in the entire world. He's not too fond of strangers but he seems to like you."..."You'll have to excuse my nervousness. I've never really... well this is a first for me." she said.

"He can likely still smell the wind and water on me. I tend to smell more like another wild creature than a human to most animals. It makes them more relaxed around me unless they spot me as a predator. Delin here knows he has nothing to worry about."

Still smiling at the gryphon she continued to scratch and pet him playfully enjoying the warm scent of the beast before her. He smelled of the warmth of the sun on wings and wind rustling through fur and feathers.

"As for your nervousness, well we were all nervous when we first got here. It'll pass as you become accustomed to the Academy. Do you know what classes you'll be taking?"

"I hope they include Elementalism..."

Cella approached the group, her arms extended low and close to her body with twin flames resting on the palms of her hands, to warm herself and dry her hair and her clothes. She smiled, looking both at the winged creature and the one who seemed to be its rider. A new student, then?

"I am Cellabrine Ardaquellis, elementalism teacher." Cella stopped in front of the young woman, and noticed the creature staring at her even as it vied for Lyra's attention. She smiled in a friendly way at him, before returning her attention to the new student. "And who would you happen to be, then?"

OOC: Pardon the absence, been fighting a sickness lately and starting to get better.
=

"I'm sure he does." Jessica said with a comforting smile. So far the people she had met seemed warm and receptive, and that was just what her relatives had told her.

"And no, I'm afraid I'm not exactly sure what to do here. I was just handed a paper with my grandfathers signature. I guess it's for one of the teachers or a department head here." she said, taking the slip out of a pouch. A family crest had sealed up the parchment and a name in black ink was written on it.

"I hope they include Elementalism..." a strange voice had said, and Jess looked upon another lovely woman who introduced herself as Cellabrine, one of the teachers as well. She was a little caught off guard with how this woman looked compared to the others, and she found herself staring into her eyes before shaking it off like a dream.

"Oh, um. My name's Jessica Tamlin. I'm... well I'm new here." she said, extending her hand out to shake it with Cella's.

"And this is Delin." Jess added, referring to her pet, who had finally pulled himself together from all the petting and was resting now on the ground, his wings folded over his body and getting quite comfortable.

Name: Safras Deval
Race: Incubus
Age: unknown no more then 50 but looks 18
Height: 6’0
Weight: 130
Hair: white
Eyes: red

Description: Saf is tall and thin so much so he looks like he may blow away at any moment given a stiff breeze. His face is hawk like long thin with piercing eyes enhanced by is straight hair. He comes around only at night given the fragility of his condition when exposed to sunlight. At first he seems distant given his lack of contact with other students.

Demonic traits and clothing: he wears the skin of demons that includes fangs claws and eyes it pulses if alive as if breathing. The skin can blend into his own so that he appears to be wearing a form fitting suit. Through contact of a sexual nature he can absorb energy and traits of other creatures much like rogue and mimic. His body is covered in a light tattoo pattern that only appears when he his using his abilities. His skin is almost translucent changing colors to match his emotion red for anger blue for sadness.

History: Was oddly born to an incubus and a succubus two related but different species. Growing up he had to fight for him self and thus grew to be a loner as no one would look after him. He has moved from town to town a pariah and subject of hate and fear. He just wants to love someone and be loved in return until that point he wishes to meet someone who can look beyond his frail shell. Finding a place he could be accepted was more then he could have hoped for the future looks brighter for the first time in a great many years.

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A charity case for the academy he was rail thin a hard luck case that had wanted no ones charity. He moved slowly weary like a beaten dog to the front gates of the academy. Safras was no ones dog and was no stray he had his pride despite being alone for most of his life. He wanted to be accepted that was why he accepted the academies offer. At first when he had shown up for the interview he barely registered as a blip. After grazing one of the board members he lit up like a roman candle.

He smiled the living cloak a living shroud attached to his body soaking up before he comforted it putting it back to sleep. The only gift from his parents before they left or died he did not know or care. Slowly the gates opened before he quickly darted past them afraid they had made a mistake. Safras could here many voices some happy some sad all unique yet in harmony like a chorus. He hugged his sack to his stomach peering out from the fanged hood his cloak. His finger tugged at the ends of his sleeves.

Safras was afraid of the other students what he could do to them what they would do to him. He moved quietly before he came to a door knocking he found it open and slid inside. He was not sure it was his room but he just wanted to still the rapid beating of his heart. Slowly he placed his sack onto a bed without turning on any source of illumination. He did not need it his eyes collected light the way a bull horn projected them. Slowly he unpacked his things soon he would have to venture out into the halls.

Safras was one of the very few pure breeds of his kind and the only one to interact with other during the day. A vamperic race his kind was hated feared and mistrusted by all the other races. Slowly he removed his hood so that he could take a drink. This done he slipped into the halls trying not to be seen funny he had come to meet new people. Not looking he ran into something solid enough but not wall solid maybe a, someone. “I am sorry I could not see well” he then kneels to pick up the few items he was carrying in his hands.

Alu'Koa

It was a sight to behold. 8 creatures who seemed to be carved from living rock, each nearly 10 feet tall and almost as broad, supporting a carriage that was nearly as large as a house. They carried the large structure at an impressive speed yet evenly as they progressed along the dirt road. Inside the structure was an opulent setting. Plush couches arrayed, a large feast of wondrous foods was displayed and gorgeous works of art marked the walls. It was a portable palace, carried by giants.

Inside the carriage was a multitude of people. Slaves and harem girls, soldiers and advisers. It was the Prince's traveling court and it was as opulent as was deserved of someone as important as the Crown Prince of the Hora Lotan Empire. In the middle of the grand scene was Crown Prince Alu'Koa, supervising as his possessions were packed into four large trunks of gold and adorned with precious stones by slaves. Next to the Prince stood a shorter man, his skin olive to the light brown of the Prince and most of his retinue. There was a concerned and angry look on his face and the robes of an Academy student in his hands.

"Unacceptable. These robes are simply unacceptable to touch your skin. I won't have it. I will send ahead two of your weavers to create something of the finest silks. This filth will not touch your sacred body....."

The man complaining was Nortethe. A man of the seafaring Kingdom of Haraethia(Conquered by Alu'Koa's great-uncle Alu'Krato in the year of the Many Knives) who had risen in rank to be the Prince's head of household. He was a friend but one who, for Alu'Koa's tastes, had grown too attached to the comforts of royalty and too consumed by it's trappings.

"Really Nort. My sacred body?" Koa rolled his eyes "I admit I do work to keep it in a pleasing form but sacred seems a little much"

"This is not a laughing matter, exalted one. This school heaps disrespect upon you. They did not postpone the start of their year for your arrival.."

"Would have been pretty unreasonable of me to expect them to delay things because some of the girls wanted to spend an extra day at the Crystal Waterfalls"

"And they refuse to grant us space to build you an appropriate palace for your stay."

"I'm sure the rooms they have are very nice" Koa shrugged

"And now they ask you to wear these things?" Nortethe's voice was practically apoplectic with outrage. Koa simply laughed and put a large hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Oh, Nort. I keep telling you. I am here to learn. As a student. I am sure I will not be the only student there who has great powers or influence."

"But you are....."

"Yes, yes, I know" Koa chuckled "The blood of the All-God, the Red Fang of the Serpent, Master of all that is seen. But I am there for instruction. Honest instruction. My all consuming greatness might get in the way of fair evaluation, I should think"

"You are as wise as you are powerful, Exalted One" Nortethe's voice was resigned to having lost the argument.

The rest of the trip passed rather quickly. It was to be Koa's last night among his favoured friends. Much was eaten and sweet wine flowed on everyone's lips. When Koa went to his bed, no less than 6 of his favoured women went with him. When they tired, 6 others replaced them. It was not until the light of the next morning that they arrived at the academy. Koa and Nortethe oversaw the unloading of the chests that were to be the only possessions Koa would keep with him. It was during this process that Nortethe again began to complain.

"I am confused Exalted One. I only counted 6 chests of yours as we packed."

"As you should have" Koa nodded

"But there are 7."

"Indeed there are."

"The first two are mystic artifacts that you wish to be trained in the use of." Nortethe began checking them off on his fingers.

"I can't wait to find out what that Golden Scarab does. None of my father's sorcerers could solve it, imagine"

"Then there is the one full of gold, the other of the precious stones"

"Even Prince's need to eat, after all"

"The last two being personal possessions"

Koa just nodded.

"Then, oh grand and feared Master of the 12 Seas, is the seventh chest?"

"A gift from my Father. Nothing to concern yourself with."

Nortethe nodded solemnly as he turned his attention back to the possessions being offloaded. The giants who had carried them offloading the first 6 chests. The containers were so large and so heavy that it required two of them to carry one. The final seventh chest, however, needed to be carried by all 8 and Nortethe could swear he heard grunts of exertion from the normally silent rockmen.

"Ah well, I'm sure I'll find out at some point" Nortethe sighed

"No, my friend." Koa shook his head "No, this is where your and my paths must fork."

Nortethe spun and looked at Koa. The expression of his face was a mixture of outrage, disbelief and wounded emotion.

"But, but, Grand Exalted Prince. Who will see to your needs?"

"As I said. I am simply a student now." Koa said with a smile as he put a hand on either shoulder of his trusted friend "And I need you back in the Capital. Looking after my affairs and seeing that my household is maintained for my visits."

Nortethe nodded a resigned nod. He would be sorry to see the Prince go and the Prince was sorry to have to send him away. Truth was, it was only in the comfort of his house that the Prince felt that he could be his true self. Humourous and kind. Outside of his own, Koa must maintain the image of the all powerful Emperor-to-be that he was. He would miss his friends and his family.

"And if someone wishes to challenge your place as Heir?" Nortethe asked with some concern

"They know where to find me." Koa nodded as he grasped his advisor to him before releasing him. Sorrowful, Nortethe walked back to the carriage.

"Oh, Nort" Koa called after his friend

"Yes, Master?"

"In bed last night the new girl, Tarah. She mentioned that her home village had been beset by bandit attacks" Koa said with a stern shake of his head. The order of the Empire had grown slightly troublesome in these last few years.

"Your wishes?"

"Send men, kill the bandits and do something nice for the village. A new marketplace." Koa thought for a second "And a coliseum"

Nortethe chuckled

"A coliseum? She must have been spirited." Nortethe made a note of the Prince's orders "Farewell sir."

"Farewell dear Nort" Koa waved.

Caliandra nodded her head and smiled.

"Well, I hope you enjoy your time here. And Lyra... you might want to find some clothes. Pretty soon we'll have all the males in this place cramming around to get a feel for your wings." she said, teasing the young student.

"I need to be off soon, so if you have any questions, Jessica, feel free to see me at any time. No classes for the rest of the day but I feel like doing something." she said and shrugged her shoulders. Deciding that it would be best to avoid transforming in front of Delin, Caliandra moved away from the group until she had enough room. There was no flash of bright light nor a loud noise when she changed; rather she simply shifted forms into her natural state and took off into the skies. She flapped her wings to give her some lift and quickly accelerated towards the sky.

Being up in the air was probably the greatest experience one could ever experience. There were no restrictions as to where she could go or where she couldn't go. Keeping near the Academy she flew around the tall towers that housed the students and some of the teachers. Caliandra wasn't the only one in the air, but she was flying by her lonesome. She decided to have some fun and began flying in loops, moving up into the clouds and emerging from them with great speed.

Ulitmate_Nerdslut said:

Name: Gwyneria (Gwyn) Izotz
Race: Anthromorph Ice Fox
Age: 20
Height:5'7"
Weight: weighs about 130
Hair: When she has her glamorie on she has light brown hair with red highlights and in her wolf form it's white in the winter and the same brownish red in the summer.
Eyes: Changes between ice blue and gray

Description: Gwyn is a beautiful creature... Yes, she can be called a creature due to the fact that she does not look at all like a normal person and her traits are very animalistic. She can look like a human but prefers to look like her 'normal' self. Normal is in the eye of the beholder afterall. She has a tail and fox ears... her hands and feet are clawed and she thanks the heavens everyday that she is not more animal because the only thing that would make her just another animal would be a lack of thumbs. In the winter, like any normal ice fox, she is white and light light gray. In the summer and spring her coat changes to a brown reddish color but her eyes remain that stunning blue color that really shocks people. Her human glamorie is just a less hairy version of herself...

History: Gwyn was raised by both of her parents... Both were anthromorphs of course but niether of them were as conspicuous as she was. Her younger sister and her parents all have predominately human traits while she is what most people would have to call a furry. She was taught all about magic by her parents of course. They had been training her to go to this prestigeous school ever since they realized that their other daughter was never going to get in.

Throughout her regular schooling she was forced to wear a glamorie and she hated it because she felt like no one would like her for who she was. She was not this 'human' they saw she was something else entirely. They had to pull her from regular school when she froze a boy's tongue to the jungle gym for calling her ugly.

Personality: Overall she is quite pleasant. She wasn't really put out there with people and considering that she usually had to hide who she was so she could go out and be with humans she has a bit of an issue with her looks. She does have a temper and it mostly surrounds her looks. She's not vain, rather she is afraid that she doesn't look good... She was never taught that she was gorgeous... She has what men call... 'ugly duckling syndrome'.

Click to expand...

Gwyneria smiled to herself as she stood in her dorm room. It was hard to believe that she had been so late that she had just barely gotten into the school and unpacked. It have been such a long farewell for her family and friends, who would be here for the school year after all and it was ever clear that she was meant to do something more with her life than her parents had.

She looked into the mirror and frowned at the human form of herself and quickly cast the glamorie from her body. She much preferred the animal side of her. Sure, she was furry but she was beautiful too and she loved her fur. Of course she knew that this wasn't pleasing to everyone so she was nervous about bein with people that we not like her or the people that she knew.

Gwyn left her room and began to explore the school that she would come to think of her home. She wondered what she would do here because she wanted so badly to make friends people that would want to know her despite what she was and then there was that voice nagging in the back of her mind. That voice told her to stay quiet and hide... to hide from the other students and make herself invisible.

She found herself outside not long after this small war in her mind.

She saw the huge fleet of creatures carrying something massive on their shoulders. The ground under her feet shook and while she was nervous she forgot it quickly. Oh how amazing it was... she had never seen anything quite like it before.