Academy of Spellcraft (Jirmushi)

It's a quiet evening on campus. Classes have been dismissed for the day as students and teachers alike are returning to their residences across the Academy.

A light snow is hailing from the windless sky. Were it not for the reports of the Argenist-Calidrian conflict rekindling itself, one would never suspect of such chaos in the world.

Marie finished packing her books and departed her classroom, wondering if she should go to her room or the library before it closed. Either way, she was going to be studying. She decided to instead go to her room, not wanting to bother the librarians with having to usher out a student when it was closing time. Besides, she preferred her room thanks to the minor rune wards of silence on the walls that prevented sound from entering her room. She was able to peacefully relax and study in a silence that would only be broken if the tanks from the front lines decided to roll in. She gets to her room shortly and steps in after unlocking it. She closes it and sighs in relief at the silence that greeted her.

There was nothing left for Elis, now that classes were over and magical workshops packed with other students and unavailable at the moment. She would've wanted to continue on to her projects and work on rectifying her theories but alas, there's not much she could do. Right now, all she could do was roam around the campus grounds before returning to her room.

And so that's what she did, while absentmindedly thinking about her previous lessons. Alchemical spellcasting. An interesting combination. Maybe she could try to make it work, what with already being an accomplished alchemist herself...

Melissa quickly made her way back to her own dorm, humming happily as she went. Today had been a good day and she managed to revive some wilted plants during class and the teacher had commended her on it.

As they night rolls on, more and more students retreat back to their dorm rooms for the night. One by one the workshops close down for the night as lights wink out of existence for this day.

But even as the students and teachers alike thin out, one person always remains in the courtyard. Professor Ingram, a kind but very eccentric human teacher, continues peering out into the starry sky with his telescope rig, even as the snow begins to blanket his hooded cloak. Many of his students have a hard time following his lessons when he starts rambling; his thoughts for his own next experiment.

It seems like astrology is his focus tonight.

"Found anything, professor?"

Came the voice of a young elf, curious to know his purpose for looking within the dark expanse of space and of what's going on through his head right now. Knowing him though, he'll probably give her more than just a simple answer... or chastise her for interrupting his work. After all, some professors get really fussy over their own projects and while it may not be the case for the professor, you never really know.

This was supposed to be a quiet, if albeit uneventful, night stroll and the appearance of the professor was a very pleasant surprise.

"Ah, Elis, was it? Here, come, take a look." The elderly man steps aside, gesturing to the telescope.

At first, all she sees through it is the dark expanse of space and the twinkle of the distant stars. Then something catches her eye. A moving object, unnaturally turning itself clockwise. As the light from a nearby star shines on the object, it outlines something suspiciously mechanical in nature.

"It seems like we are not alone out in the universe, are we?" the professor chuckles.

"Amazing... Never seen anything like this before." she noted in surprise, witnessing this strange phenomena. It's mechanical-like form seems akin to that of a vessel of sorts, though for what purpose she has no idea. An engineer would be more helpful in this regard, to which she is not.

She expected cosmological signs and shooting stars, not this. At the professor's response, she can't help but to humor him. "We aren't. This also proves that, even with the wisdom and knowledge of the world around us, there's still some mysteries left unsolved..."

"Professor, what do you think this vessel is?" she asked, facing the professor.

The professor laughs quietly. "That is a question I had been asking since I was a wee lad. To this day I can't say... maybe it is what remains of the Seredium Empire, that the Twelve Magi had tried to extinguish... maybe it is extra-terrestrials, here to observe... I cannot say."

The old man lets out a sigh. "This is the fifth time I have witnessed this... you are a lucky one, child. Perhaps fate has blessed you with something extraordinary."

"An unlikely sign, but we'll see. Fate more often than not works in mysterious ways." was what she replied to the professor. In truth, she had no dreams of being that extraordinary 'someone' like the professor mentioned, as that'll mean more responsibilities to shoulder on and becoming the center of attention. Just give her some books, her own workshop, a simple meal everyday and a bed and she'll be content for life.

Something seems to ripple through the air as the stars begin to twinkle with a ferocity unlike anything they've seen before. The professor looks up in awe as he watches, when the realization hits Elis.

This was the work of spellcraft. An ancient type of spellcraft, long through to be either myth of forgotten.

Callath had been studying in the library, near one of the windows, when the event happened. With the stars shining so brightly, he could hardly not notice it.

"What on earth?" he shouted as he charged outside.

To this, she can't believe her eyes. What she was seeing pales the unknown object on the sky by far. This was something different. Nothing mysterious or unknowable. No, maybe because it can be identified, that she was transfixed by it.

What she was seeing was ancient magic that was long used ages ago, now nothing more than mere legends. To witness this firsthand was an... invigorating, to say the least.

"Unbelievable..."

Lights pop up from across campus as every spellcaster worth their salt opens their windoes or climbs out of the building they were in.

The professor himself looks about. "...So that was no imagination... that means the professors and the Dean are gathering together." He begins to head off towards one of the auditoriums, whose lights flicker on as he approaches. Many students and instructors alike quizzically begins to gether there, wondering what has transpired.

Marie opens her window and looks around, wondering what had just happened. She sees the last of the lights fade from the sky and frowns in thought. What could've made something that bright?

Melissa blinks, she was staring out the window as the lights faded. She was going through her notes on her bed when it happened. Getting up, she goes outside her dorm and quickly to an auditorium where other students are to see what's going on.

Callath joins the throng, casting a minor, but long range, detection spell to see if he can get any idea of what it is or if whatever happened really reached the stars.

Marie joins the other students to see if the assembly was going to tell them what had caused the lights.

Elis snaps out of her self-induced trance, thanks to the professor near her. It seems she wasn't alone to reach her conjectures, as other professors and people of high rank begin to take action.

Of course the entire school would be in an uproar, what with the recent turn of events. She followed suit after the professor. "Professor Ingram... has there ever been a record of people practicing old magic in the current times?" The archives back in her homeland may have some answers. Sadly, she isn't there right now.

The Professor stays silent for a moment as he contemplates the question. "Yes... and no. While we know of the few today who practices the ancient arts... none of them are capable of this specific type."

"I see..." That was all she could say at the moment. All that she can do is to await the upcoming announcement. Whatever the announcement may be, she knows that it'll be something very major.

Callath's spell finds only the unusual; it is as if the stars themselves burned in righteous fury in that wondrous moment as it answered someone's call.

The Auditorium is crammed absolutely full, to the brim with students, assistants and teaches alike. On the lecture podium sit eighteen members; almost all of the Professors on campus, alongside the Dean himself.

Almost nothing can be heard over the din of talking amongst the audience, but despite that the eighteen on the podium sit patiently until the Dean rises up and holds a hand up to the crowd. Almost immediately, the room becomes silent.

"Thank you for gathering here, despite lack of an official announcement," the Dean speaks. "I have no doubt that all of you had felt what we had felt. To say the least, that was a Class-A Ancient Spell."

There are murmurs and gasps from those in the audience. A Class-A spell could level a city with one strike, and its class is only eclipsed by the rumored Class-S spells.

"As we speak, the other two Professors not present are gathering information and preparing scout teams to assess the scale of the damage done. While the Oder of Astra as a whole is prepared to deal with a major Flux incursion, many more members are required to safeguard assets in the wake of the Calidrian advance."

"All students are to report to their Professor for instructions. This is a major undertaking and a valuable learning experience for all of you. Good luck."

(All of the student characters are reporting to Professor Ingram)

A Class-A Ancient Spell. So that was the ones used at that time. And the caster of said spell is still at large...

She was supposed to be going on one of her nightly stroll, with nothing much happening and ending with her resting her head for the day. To say that she didn't see this coming is an understatement of the century.

Already being near her Professor, she simply stood there and await further instructions. Will all these questions rising up, it's only natural that she felt the need to discover the answers herself.

The magnitude of the spell frightened Callath, but it also excited and intrigued him. He had hoped for a quiet night of studying and now a night of chaos had shown itself in. He nervously shifted his way through the crowd, apologizing as he bumps into people.

He hopes that the answers won't be devastating.

Finding the professor, he waits for further information, his eyes darting restlessly.

Melissa blinked before shivering slightly in fear. The magnitude of the spell was reason enough to be fearful of whatever did this, but she truly was more afraid of the major flux incursion that could happen as a result of the spell. She heard of the dangerous of dealing with flux creatures and this might be her first time see one in person.