Small candles floated around inside the shadowmancy auditorium, bringing precious light into its massive space. As students slowly crept in, the candles--free floating and darting around--avoided them, cloaking the stairwells in darkness and making the ascent to the higher seats more precarious. Though most students preferred higher seats in the auditorium, it was simply too dark to easily reach them, forcing the pupils to seat themselves in the first couple of rows, where visibility wasn't zero.
The shadows shifted around the desk at the front of the auditorium, and a human shape started to form in the black. Slowly, the professor slipped from the shadow, his violent yellow eyes glowing in the dark of the room. He circled the desk, then placed himself in the seat behind it, fingers steepled as he watched the remaining stragglers find their way into the classroom -- new students, no doubt, who took longer than normal to locate the premises.
The second class begun, the professor lifted one hand, and the door to the auditorium blended into the wall. The newer students gasped, uncomfortably grasping their bags as they looked around for some sort of exit. There was none, and there would be none until the professor saw it fit to release them from his clutches. Another couple of uncomfortable moments passed before the orange-clad professor rose from his seat and circled around the desk, glowing eyes searching the darkness.
"You have managed to find yourself in shadowmancy," he said. His voice was quiet but strong, with a dark tone to it that implied a significant amount of distaste. "If you don't belong here, that is quite unfortunate for you, as I don't plan on returning the door until the end of our session."
He leaned back and surveyed the classroom. "Shadowmancy is a dark magic, the manipulation of shadows, for those of you lacking higher reasoning capabilities. I am Professor Drake. I will be instructing you to how to use shadows to move from place to place, to trick others... and, of course, to fight and to kill."
He rubbed his hands over his face, then dropped them to his sides. "You only get one chance to prove you're not worthless scum undeserving of my teachings and attention. But make no mistake, I don't believe many of you will achieve any sort of success. I've been teaching here long enough to know most of you will be dead by the end of the quarter."
The students exchanged uncomfortable gazes with each other. Dead?
"Now, look here, this is my assistant professor," he continued, gesturing off to the side, where a brown-haired student clad in black lurked near the edge of the classroom. "He will likely be wandering up to the second level, where certain students will have the privilege of his attention and teaching."
"Now, look here, this is my assistant professor," he continued, gesturing off to the side, where a brown-haired student clad in black lurked near the edge of the classroom. "He will likely be wandering up to the second level, where certain students will have the privilege of his attention and teaching."
SHD 101: Shadowmancy in Nature
MDrake says:
Professor Moritz's claws tapped against the desk that he leaned against. "This first course is Shadowmancy in Nature, or a study of beings that utilize shadowmancy within the natural world. Our first lesson will be on plants that use shadowmancy. I suppose I needn't explain that all shadow-using plants are carnivorous, as you should have the mental capability to infer that for yourself."
He pushed away from the desk and slowly approached the student who was enrolled in the course. "Your first assignment will take you well into the depths of the mountains to the west. There, you'll find places in pure darkness, where shadow plants live. As there is no light down there, these plants have evolved to reject photosynthesis and instead to use shadow to catch prey. Similar to a venus fly trap or a pitcher plant, they digest their prey with enzymes in their stomach acid and absorb the nutrients."
"I will give you a map, and with it, you shall bring yourself to a cave in the mountains - one I have marked as not being terribly dangerous, though I won't promise safety. Inside the cave you will be surrounded by darkness, and upon bringing a flashlight, locate a shadow plant. You will know it is there because it will probably try to kill you. Harvest part of it, then go the shadowmancy library and look up what specimen you have taken. When you have identified the plant, bring it to me and I shall grade your efforts."
[Assignment - Draw, write, or roleplay your character going into the mountains to get a shadow plant specimen. ]
Iantha PokeFreak413 - 3
Felamir huniebl0d - 3
Gray thatpartwhereiart - 5
Shadow S-h-A-d-O-w--C-a-T - 5
Chaii RANZOMEGA - 5
Lark Ibbledibble - 5
Iantha PokeFreak413 - 3
Felamir huniebl0d - 3
Gray thatpartwhereiart - 5
Shadow S-h-A-d-O-w--C-a-T - 5
Chaii RANZOMEGA - 5
Lark Ibbledibble - 5
SHD 102: Aggressive Shadowmancy
MDrake says:
Shadow tendrils were certainly this professor's favorite type of aggressive shadowmancy, because they slithered along the ground like black snakes as he moved onto the next subject. "This course, Aggressive Shadowmancy, will teach you the simplest form of aggressive magic using shadowmancy, and that is the use of the shadow tendril. The simplest explanation for this type of magic is constriction magic - a shadow tendril's goal is to constrict a target, either restricting their movement or putting enough pressure on their body to cause blood vessel disruption, and thus death, similar to a constricting snake."
A single, barbed shadow tendril curled around each student. While they weren't constricting very hard, the barbs pressed uncomfortably into the students' skin, causing some squirming. A glare from the professor made the students tense and force themselves not to move. A moment later, each student experienced a sensation like gaining an extra limb as the shadow tendril's control was passed to the student. Some of them were already starting to flick the end of the shadow tendril back and forth like tails. However, as the students started moving around the shadow tendrils, their thorns pulled back into their forms, leaving them with a smooth surface.
"Familiarize yourself with my shadow tendrils," the professor murmured to the students. "As you get used to moving your tendril around, you shall start experimenting with lifting them out of your own shadow, or the shadows of other objects. You will only be able to create smooth shadow tendrils for now, but do not fear. Constriction is still a wonderful way to fight. That said, I would like you to create some shadow tendrils of your own, then find a victim to wrap with them."
[Assignment - Create some smooth shadow tendrils, then constrict another student with them. ]
Bridgette kunehoGod
Tishna soapiesthorse
Midnite kunehoGod
Badru NyssasOrbit
Avery BlueBlueFox - 5
Kuro chexxie
Lycoris KnightLycoris - 5
Yasmine Nika-tan - 5
Ryuu Kioanha
Raven RavenLacrimosa
Conrad IllusionarySekai
Melusine KeplerNova - 4
Raen Autumn--Moon - 4
Zethiek LordEmeric
Yusia Terminator78
Look forward to Kaine posting these shortly!
The teacher stared blankly for a moment, as he had never actually taught this class before, but it appeared that Broken would challenge him yet again... as he tended to do, simply by existing. "Well, shadow wormholes are something that is quite useful. In the first part of the term, we will be focusing on shadow wormholes around the academy, and how you can use them to speed up your movements."
He cleared his throat and closed his bright yellow eyes. "You are probably familiar with shadowporting, and how it requires a strong focus, as well as a knowledge of the place that you are attempting to go to... and, of course, the state of the shadows on the other side, your destination. There are shadow wormholes, however, that are fixed points between one place and another, and these do not require your focus, and they do not change... hence why they are called fixed."
He gestured for the student to follow him out into the hallway. He silently walked until he reached the end of the hallway, where the classrooms ended and there appeared to be nothing but a wall. "Do you see this space here?" He pointed to the wall, a pitch black color in the dark building. "This is a wormhole. If you step through it, it will take you to a random place within the shadowmancy building."
He inclined his head. "I want you to jump into this no less than five times, and report where you land each time. That will give you a good sense of how these feel, and you will be able to sense them out around the campus."
Broken Evil-Wren - 5
"It's comforting to know I'm not wasting my time on you," he said, studying the girl. "For now." He always tempered his expectations, even if life was so full of disappointment. "The point of this course is to learn how to create objects out of shadow -- many shadowmancers enjoy creating weapons out of shadow, for instance, but if you want something more..." He paused. "...routine, you can make anything you wish. The shadows can effectively be your 3D printer."
He held out one hand and formed a small ceremonial knife. It was pure black, and rejected the light, appearing to be a solid form. He held the handle and moved it about. "This is truly just another form of illusion magic, but strong enough that they can hold their form, such as shadow tendrils do. Your first task shall be to a take a small object and duplicate it into a shadow form. Bring both the original and the duplicate to me for grading."
[ Assignment: Duplicate a small object. ]
Ida JeanaWei - 5
Mayday cluelooser - 3
Theon Yekrutslover - 5
Contour Ju5tAB0r3d1 - 5
Bridgette kunehoGod
Tishna soapiesthorse
Midnite kunehoGod
Badru NyssasOrbit
Avery BlueBlueFox - 5
Kuro chexxie
Lycoris KnightLycoris - 5
Yasmine Nika-tan - 5
Ryuu Kioanha
Raven RavenLacrimosa
Conrad IllusionarySekai
Melusine KeplerNova - 4
Raen Autumn--Moon - 4
Zethiek LordEmeric
Yusia Terminator78
SHD 103: Shadowstalking
SHD 104: The Shadow Realm
SHD 201: Shadowporting
SHD 203: Shadow Illusions
Look forward to Kaine posting these shortly!
SHD 204: Shadow Bandages
MDrake says:
"Yes, you all again. Of course I am not surprised to see you, and I already sufficiently threatened you in the previous class, so you know not to disappoint me." Though he did find it weird that little shadowmancer had left and returned... and why he smelled related to the professor... mysteries, mysteries...
Feeling satisfied, he looked down toward his hands, forming some shadow tendrils in them. "Shadow bandages are essentially formed from shadow tendrils, you just have to flatten them." A moment later, the tendrils flattened out to appear ribbonlike. "But it's also important that you know how to absorb fluids and change them into shadow so they do not saturate the shadow tendril bandages too much. This is what makes shadow tendril bandages superior to regular fabric bandages, as you can simply siphon away the waste products and not have them soak through."
"So, the first thing you'll be doing is learning how to absorb liquids into your shadow tendrils. When you feel like you can sufficiently change liquids into shadow, you'll be allowed to move on."
[Assignment - Absorb liquid through shadow tendrils and convert the liquid to shadow. ]
Broken Evil-Wren - 5
Broken Evil-Wren - 5
SHD 301: Shadow Wormholes
MDrake says:
The teacher stared blankly for a moment, as he had never actually taught this class before, but it appeared that Broken would challenge him yet again... as he tended to do, simply by existing. "Well, shadow wormholes are something that is quite useful. In the first part of the term, we will be focusing on shadow wormholes around the academy, and how you can use them to speed up your movements."
He cleared his throat and closed his bright yellow eyes. "You are probably familiar with shadowporting, and how it requires a strong focus, as well as a knowledge of the place that you are attempting to go to... and, of course, the state of the shadows on the other side, your destination. There are shadow wormholes, however, that are fixed points between one place and another, and these do not require your focus, and they do not change... hence why they are called fixed."
He gestured for the student to follow him out into the hallway. He silently walked until he reached the end of the hallway, where the classrooms ended and there appeared to be nothing but a wall. "Do you see this space here?" He pointed to the wall, a pitch black color in the dark building. "This is a wormhole. If you step through it, it will take you to a random place within the shadowmancy building."
He inclined his head. "I want you to jump into this no less than five times, and report where you land each time. That will give you a good sense of how these feel, and you will be able to sense them out around the campus."
Broken Evil-Wren - 5
SHD 302: Shadow Objects
MDrake says:
"It's comforting to know I'm not wasting my time on you," he said, studying the girl. "For now." He always tempered his expectations, even if life was so full of disappointment. "The point of this course is to learn how to create objects out of shadow -- many shadowmancers enjoy creating weapons out of shadow, for instance, but if you want something more..." He paused. "...routine, you can make anything you wish. The shadows can effectively be your 3D printer."
He held out one hand and formed a small ceremonial knife. It was pure black, and rejected the light, appearing to be a solid form. He held the handle and moved it about. "This is truly just another form of illusion magic, but strong enough that they can hold their form, such as shadow tendrils do. Your first task shall be to a take a small object and duplicate it into a shadow form. Bring both the original and the duplicate to me for grading."
[ Assignment: Duplicate a small object. ]
Ida JeanaWei - 5
Mayday cluelooser - 3
Theon Yekrutslover - 5
Contour Ju5tAB0r3d1 - 5
SHD 303: Shadow Acid
MDrake says:
The professor's eyes seemed to brighten at the thought of the subject. Shadow acid was certainly getting more into what he was interested in. "This course involves a certain amount of alchemy," he said. "Essentially what you will be doing is studying the properties of acids -- and perhaps extreme bases, if you really feel the need -- and then modifying your shadows to mimic those properties. As follows, your shadows will gain a rather potent ability to burn away at those you desire."
He moved away from his desk, where three vials of acid sat in glass. "This first glass is carbonic acid, which is a fairly weak acid and has a formula of H2CO3 . The second acid, one you may be more familiar with, is sulfuric acid, with a formula of H2SO4. The last is fluoroantimonic acid, with the formula of H2FSbF
The professor's eyes seemed to brighten at the thought of the subject. Shadow acid was certainly getting more into what he was interested in. "This course involves a certain amount of alchemy," he said. "Essentially what you will be doing is studying the properties of acids -- and perhaps extreme bases, if you really feel the need -- and then modifying your shadows to mimic those properties. As follows, your shadows will gain a rather potent ability to burn away at those you desire."
He moved away from his desk, where three vials of acid sat in glass. "This first glass is carbonic acid, which is a fairly weak acid and has a formula of H2CO3 . The second acid, one you may be more familiar with, is sulfuric acid, with a formula of H2SO4. The last is fluoroantimonic acid, with the formula of H2FSbF
6, and is extremely dangerous... heh."
"You, as an introduction to this course, will be playing with the first vial." He picked it up and handed it to the student. Throwing it was tempting, though. "Study the acid, let it soak into your shadows. Use it on flesh, and report back on how it works. It is a weak acid, so you needn't be too careful..."
Ida JeanaWei - 5
Mayday cluelooser - 3
Theon Yekrutslover - 5
Contour Ju5tAB0r3d1 - 5
"You, as an introduction to this course, will be playing with the first vial." He picked it up and handed it to the student. Throwing it was tempting, though. "Study the acid, let it soak into your shadows. Use it on flesh, and report back on how it works. It is a weak acid, so you needn't be too careful..."
Ida JeanaWei - 5
Mayday cluelooser - 3
Theon Yekrutslover - 5
Contour Ju5tAB0r3d1 - 5
SHD 304: Shadow Stitching
MDrake says:
The professor looked over the students who had registered for his class. "A lot of students find this class enjoyable, so I suppose you may as well. It depends on whether you enjoy designing a new piece of clothing for your wardrobe." He closed his eyes and folded his arms over his chest. "By the time we are finished with the term, I would like to see each of you having completed a full, completely new outfit for yourselves. Whether you decide to wear it after that is not my concern, but the outfit must be high quality for me to consider passing you."
Having said that, the professor stretched a piece of shadow ahead of him. "Shadows can be used by shadowmancers to create a physical form, as you are already aware by having taken the shadow bandages course. You will, of course, need to keep the shadows solid to make clothing, or you risk the possibility of your clothing simply disappearing from your body."
"First, you will be making something simple for your outfit. You may start with something like an accessory."
Theon Yekrutslover - 4
Contour Ju5tAB0r3d1 - 5
Pet olivetoart - 5
TURN IN YOUR ASSIGNMENT IN THIS JOURNAL TO RECEIVE A GRADE AND CREDIT. Grades always happen at the end of the month, right before the new assignments go up. Please keep in mind that written assignments need to be at least 1,000 words to get full credit. Feel free to work in groups or alone!
The professor looked over the students who had registered for his class. "A lot of students find this class enjoyable, so I suppose you may as well. It depends on whether you enjoy designing a new piece of clothing for your wardrobe." He closed his eyes and folded his arms over his chest. "By the time we are finished with the term, I would like to see each of you having completed a full, completely new outfit for yourselves. Whether you decide to wear it after that is not my concern, but the outfit must be high quality for me to consider passing you."
Having said that, the professor stretched a piece of shadow ahead of him. "Shadows can be used by shadowmancers to create a physical form, as you are already aware by having taken the shadow bandages course. You will, of course, need to keep the shadows solid to make clothing, or you risk the possibility of your clothing simply disappearing from your body."
"First, you will be making something simple for your outfit. You may start with something like an accessory."
Theon Yekrutslover - 4
Contour Ju5tAB0r3d1 - 5
Pet olivetoart - 5
TURN IN YOUR ASSIGNMENT IN THIS JOURNAL TO RECEIVE A GRADE AND CREDIT. Grades always happen at the end of the month, right before the new assignments go up. Please keep in mind that written assignments need to be at least 1,000 words to get full credit. Feel free to work in groups or alone!
