Tales From Algernon's Amazing Archmagical Academy!

[Lazlow]

Judyth always being front and center, accepts the short, slightly thick, plain-looking length of wood. She looks at it and then asks Master Algernon a question or two.

"What is this? What does it do?"

She holds the piece of wood up toward him for clarity.

"Ah, aha, wonderful, yes, that's quite nice, thank you," Master Algernon says, graciously accepting the rod. He peers at it intently for a moment and weighs it in his hands. He examines both ends, then, in an amazing feat of digital dexterity that would cause even the great Bonzo Foursticks (court drummer to Lord Zeplyn, Hero of the Battle of Evermoor and Defender of Bron-Y-Aur) to sit up and take notice, twirled the stick through his fingers, passing it effortlessly from one hand to the other, and finally tossing it up into the air with a flourish, catching it nonchalantly in his outstretched palm.

"You'll need this, aye," he whispers to Judyth, handing it back with a wink and patting her on the head. He gives her a grandfatherly look and squeezes her shoulder, then turns to walk away. As he turns, he glances down and spies the rod in her hand and lets out a shriek.

"Aiiee!! Oh, my, my dear girl, where did you get that?" He steps aside quickly and adds, "Mind where you point that, now. Yes, thank you, wonderful, yes..."

 

[Lazlow]

"Perhaps you recall what color it is. Or what it feels like in the palm of your hand. Or what word activates its magical power."

"Color? Oh, well, um, I suppose it's the same color as any, although I suppose they could come in all colors. As for the feel, again, it depends on what it's made of, now doesn't it? Yes, indeed, yes... And I don't know of any magical power... I would assume that whatever sack Fairbairn supplies you with would be quite mundane, hrm, yes."

 

[Lazlow]

Kieran leaps to his feet and rubs his hands together.

'Yeah! Awright! You got it Coach! Cruikshanks is DEAD! DEAD! You hear me, boys?!? *D* - *U* - *D* - *D* - DEAD!!'

He pushes his way through the others up to Judyth and tries to grab the small piece of wood out of her hand.

'Gimme dat! Yer gonna hurt yourself with dat, chickie! I'LL take care of it, right Coach? This is an important class we're taking now and I'm not going to get an 'F' on it because of you. You girls should stick to knitting and leave this magicum spell stuff to us men! Am I right boys? Huh? Am I right? Who's with me, team?!? YEAH!!!'

The aged archmage watches Kieran's enthusiastic display with interest, and offers a smattering of applause when all is said and done. "Oh ho ho ho, my lad, well done, good show," he responds warmly. "I think Judyth is quite capable of handling this, thank you, yes," he says with unusual confidence, gently but firmly taking the rod from the large student and handing it to Jem.

"Now, there won't be any need to kill anyone, no no no, most definitely not." He looks around as if he suspected someone else was eavesdropping, then leans in close to Kieran and starts to whisper conspiratorially. "I have a special assignment for you. I need you to carry something else." He cups his hand over his mouth and mutters something unintelligible, then squeezes his hand shut tightly. Grabbing Kieran's hand, he flattens his own out into the students outstretched palm, then closes it up and pushes it back towards him. "What I've just given you is... The Magic Word. Keep it with you at all times! Do not give it to anyone, and never lose it! Use it only when the circumtances are so devastatingly dire that you have no other choice. Now, put it in a pocket or something, and be careful! Yes, hrm, indeed." He turns the jock around and nudges him gently toward the door. "Run along now, time is of the essence!" As he says this, he gives the other students a wary look, shaking his head and passing his hand quickly over the top of his head, making a "whoosh!" noise and giggling.

 

[Lazlow]

Jem just grins mischievously - which is a little like saying that a sloth does something slowly. It *may* be possible for Jem to do something in a manner that isn't mischievous, but he's certainly never felt a need to. "Guess it depends on the girl, but as I remember, 'magicum' was never exactly your specialty Keiran... so maybe you should get to knitting, huh?" His grin widens a little at his own wit as he turns a little in his seat to look at Master Algernon. "Anyway, you got it chief. Get some thingamajig back from Cruikshanks, and we get to ride a crab too. Peice 'o' cake. Just one question... do we get to keep the magic gadgets you're handing out when we're done?" The full force of Jem's rogueish charm is turned on the withered old professor. He doesn't really expect to get to keep anything - at least, not legitimately - but he couldn't live with the knowledge that he hadn't even tried.

"Oh ho ho, loot, eh? Well... Let's just say that if you manage to get something, it's yours to keep." He returns Jem's mischievious grin to him tenfold - which is quite unsettling indeed, coming from Master Algernon. He chuckles to himself a bit, then finally starts to leave the room. "Good luck my students! Watch out for each other. You're a team, you know."

 

[Gray Shade]

Hot on his heels, as it were, Clipper follows Algernon out of the room, basically getting underfoot. When the old man looks down at him, Clipper says, "Excuse me. Just following you to the repository."

 

[DEFCON 1]

Kieran looks down at his clenched fist, which golds the Magic Word within it. He takes a second or to to try and understand what exactly Master Algernon whispered in his ear, then suddenly his eyes widen and his smile grows twenty-fold!

'Yeah Coach! I got it! Don't worry! My mind is like a stolen trap.' He gives Algernon the thumbs-up, puts his fist in his pocket to deposit the Word, then reaches up and adjusts the straps of his pads to tighten then up. 'Let's go team...' he says, as he is gently nudged out the door by Algernon.

When he gets outside the classroom, he takes a quick look left... a quick look right... stares straight ahead for a second... then finds himself lost. His eyes narrow a bit as he tends to get angry and violent when he does not feel things are going his way... and right before he starts punching something he hears a voice walking away from him.

"Excuse me. Just following you to the repository."

He turns and sees the halfling following Master Algernon down the hall, and Kieran decides that the little pipsqueak must know where to go. So he turns and begins following the halfling down the hall.

 

[Eluvan]

Jem laughs gleefully at Algernon's response and leaps up from his seat, eager to be away. He tags along behind Algernon, Kieran and Klipper, jumping around hyperactively in excited anticipation of seeing the magical gadgets he's going to get to play with.

 

[Lazlow]

Algernon plods along down the hallway, humming to himself, turning left at the first passageway, then right at another, then follows a large curving walkway that snakes both indoor and out. After a couple of more turns, he makes his way into a room. He looks about, surveying the empty lecture room, wondering what's so familiar abou it. He then spots the students behind him, seemingly for the first time since leaving this room five minutes ago.

"Ah! Back so soon? My my, that IS impressive, yes, hrm."

 

[Gray Shade]

Clipper takes Algernon's reaction in stride. "Oh, not just yet, sir. You're taking us to the repository first so that we can be outfitted for the assignment." He then takes the man's hand gently and leads him toward the repository.

 

[Lazlow]

"Ah! So I was, so I was. Come on then, this way..."

Master Algernon leads you all out of the room and, turning immediately to the left, down a spiraling staircase. A long, narrow passageway leads straight ahead at the bottom of those stairs, with several other passages crossing it. He continues straight ahead until the passage ends with a single door. He knocks on it and almost immediately the top half swings open revealing a pudgy little man with a very red face and a sweaty, bald head.

"What do you want? Speak up, now, I haven't got- Oh, Master Algernon! My, what a pleasant surprise. Please, how may I be of service?"

Algernon, a bit taken aback at the sweaty man's initial reaction, looks about with a puzzled expression. "Algernon? Here, in the building? Oh, my, I do say, what a fortunate happenstance, I would like to have a word or two with him, indeed, yes..."

The man behind the door softens a bit and shakes his head in an affectionate manner. He reaches out and takes the Master's hand from Clipper, shooting the young student the quickest of disapproving looks. "Master Algernon," he says with a pronounced show of respect, "how may I help you today? Is there something in the repository here that you require?"

"Ah, Fairbairn, good show, just the man we're looking for. Yes. These students will be heading out on a personal assignment for me, yes... Please be so kind as to outfit them appropriately." The old man turns to the group and smiles warmly. "Very well then - I'm off. Good luck to you all, see you upon your return." With that he shuffles back down the hall and disappears into one of the side corridors.

"Personal assignment, eh?" the sweaty little bald man says with more than just a hint of disappointment. "Come on then, let's be about it. Single file, step forward, state your name." A clipboard and well-worn feather quill appear in his hands as he peers down his nose at you, and he looks at you all impatiently, pen at the ready.