Quartz Class

[Cloud Caelum Garr]

Frost 15 122

Garr woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside his window. He slowly sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes, feeling groggy from his late-night studying. As he stretched his limbs, he could feel his muscles protesting from the previous day's work. He got out of bed and walked to his closet, picking out his uniform for the day. After changing, he went to splash some water on his face to wake himself up. Then, he headed to the kitchen and grabbed some toast and eggs for breakfast. Garr's father was already at the table, reading a book and sipping on some dark drink. They exchanged brief greetings, and Garr sat down to eat his breakfast. He finished quickly, knowing he had to leave for school soon.

He gathered his books and made his way out of the house, taking in the fresh morning air. He walked the familiar path to Academia Arcanum, where he spent a significant amount of his time. As he approached the school gates, he could see his classmates milling around, some chatting and others studying. Garr made his way to his classroom, ready to learn about the latest magical techniques and abilities.

If Garr remembered correctly, today was the day his professor was going to teach the class about a new ability called Elemental Lodestone. Garr sat eagerly in his seat, his notebook open and ready to take notes. The professor began by explaining the basics of the earth element and how it could be manipulated to create quartz-like crystals. "You can make them purely with your own energy reserves," the professor said, "and once you make them, you can use them as an energy source for your spells."

Garr's mind raced with excitement as he imagined the possibilities of this new ability. "But that's not all," the professor continued, "erm, well perhaps that’s too much to teach you at this stage so never mind. You have the basic idea anyway." He yawned and scratched his beardless chin absent mindedly. He looked out of a window and seemed to get distracted by something for a moment before remembering that he was supposed to be giving a lesson.

Garr's hand shot up, eager to ask a question. "But how do we create these crystals?" he asked. The professor smiled and motioned for Garr to come up to the front of the class. Garr could feel his heart pounding as he made his way to the front of the classroom. He had been waiting for this moment for weeks, ever since the professor had mentioned the ability in passing. As he approached the front of the class, he could feel the eyes of his classmates on him, curious about what he was going to ask. Garr took a deep breath and tried to steady his nerves as he faced the professor.

The professor smiled at Garr and gestured to a large chalkboard at the front of the room. "Creating an Elemental Lodestone is no easy feat," he said, "but it is certainly possible with the right training and knowledge." The professor began to draw on the board, sketching out the various things to keep in mind.

Garr watched intently, taking in every detail as the professor spoke. He listened as the professor explained the importance of creating high-quality crystals and the right type of elemental energy. The professor also talked about the dangers of attempting to create a Lodestone without proper training, warning that it could lead to disastrous consequences.

"Creating an Elemental Lodestone crystal requires a great deal of focus and concentration," the professor explained, "you must not only focus on creating the crystal but also infusing it with energy at the same time. Okay Garr, go ahead and try it out for me."

The class watched intently as Garr attempted to create a crystal with his own aether. He had read about this in his books, but he had never tried it in front of a group of his peers. The pressure of the moment seemed to get to him, and he clenched his fists as he concentrated with all his might. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he struggled to bring forth the crystal. The air around him seemed to crackle with energy, and the students leaned forward in their seats, eager to witness the creation of the Elemental Lodestone.

Despite his best efforts, the crystal that eventually formed was malformed and misshapen. Garr frowned in disappointment, knowing that it would have no real function. The professor, however, was not deterred by Garr's failure. Instead, he stepped forward and placed a reassuring hand on Garr's shoulder.

"No shame in that," the professor said kindly. "It takes time, practice, and a deep understanding of the elements. Don't be discouraged by this setback. It's all part of the learning process."

The professor then demonstrated the right way to create Elemental Lodestones. He focused his mind and only showed a little bit of effort. The air around him began to shimmer and distort as he drew upon the aether. A quartz-like crystal about the size of his fist slowly materialized in his palm, glowing with an inner light. The crystal was perfectly formed, its edges sharp and clear.

As the professor drew upon the energy reserves of the crystal, a bright glow emanated from it. The energy was palpable and the air hummed with electricity. The gust of wind that the professor summoned was no ordinary wind, it was strong and powerful, causing the papers on the desk to fly around and the hair of the students to whip back and forth. The class was amazed by the display, and some students even let out a small gasp of surprise.

Garr was completely captivated by the demonstration, his eyes fixated on the crystal in the professor's hand. He could feel the energy coursing through the air and he knew that he wanted to learn everything he could about this incredible ability. He couldn't help but wonder what other feats he could accomplish with the Elemental Lodestone. As the professor finished the demonstration, he looked out over the class with a sense of pride. "This is what you can achieve with the Elemental Lodestone."

With the bulk of the lesson out of the way, the students eagerly set to work, their hands moving quickly as they attempted to will the crystals into existence. Garr could feel the intense concentration in the room as everyone focused on the task at hand. He could hear the occasional grunt of frustration as someone failed to produce a successful crystal. The professor, meanwhile, walked around the room slowly, examining each student's progress. He would stop and offer suggestions on how to improve, his voice gentle but firm. "Focus your mind more," he would say, or "Try visualizing the crystal more clearly." His suggestions were always helpful, and Garr noticed that the other students were improving with each passing moment.

As the class progressed, Garr found himself becoming more and more absorbed in the task. He could feel the power of the crystal coursing through his veins as he drew upon its energy reserves to produce his own little puffs of wind. He experimented with different techniques, trying to find the most efficient way to create and manipulate the crystals. The professor's watchful eye never left the students, and he offered encouragement whenever someone succeeded in creating a crystal that functioned properly. Garr could sense the excitement in the air as his classmates began to make functional crystals. They were all on the cusp of unlocking a truly incredible ability, and the thought was both exhilarating and terrifying.

After some time, the professor gathered the students together once more. He smiled at them warmly, his eyes sparkling with pride. "Well done, all of you," he said. "You have all shown remarkable progress today. I look forward to seeing what you will accomplish in the future." Garr beamed with pride as the professor complimented them. Then the professor began to gather his things and prepare to leave. A hand shot up in the back of the room, and the professor called on the student. The student spoke up, asking what should be done with the crystals once their energy has been expended. The professor turned to face the student, his expression thoughtful as he considered the question.

"Well," he began, "once the crystals have been used up and their energy has been expended, they are essentially useless. There's no need to keep them, so you can simply throw them away or keep them as souvenirs, your choice."

Garr watched as the other students nodded in agreement, some of them beginning to gather their things as well. Garr quickly packed up his own things and followed the rest of the class out into the hallway. He couldn't wait to experiment with the crystals on his own, to see what other amazing feats he could accomplish with the power of the Elemental Lodestone at his fingertips.

[Hilana Chenzira]

Review

Name: Garr

XP: 8 Points, can be used for Elementalism
Lore: 6 Lores
Injuries/Ailments: None
Loot: His crystal lodestone.

Notes: This was a fun thread to read, but I have a few notes and revisions for you that you could make. Something for you to keep in mind for future threads is that the Umbrium is subterranean - you are in a cave system. There are few birds down there, lighting is all artificial, and so on. Solunarium is very magically-oriented, so in the Academia Arcanum, professors do not really tend towards using chalkboards - they'll use moving pictographs and Masquerade and such to drive their lessons home. It's really very showy and glowy, and using more mundane methods for their lectures is less common. Lastly, an Elemental lodestone can be used again once it has been emptied of the stored element... but you have to recharge it. If you've ever any questions about the setting and such, please feel free to ask! Solunarium can be a tricky city to start in.