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Lessons of Dynasty Part 2: Interlude Years	By : JohnDoe Category: +A through F > Exalted RPG Views: 277 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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Realm Year 737, 1st Day of Ascending Air
The Heptagram

The Calibration between Realm Year 736 and 737 passes in a blur of festivities. The students all dress to impress – for the new second years, it’s the first time they see each other outside of the school uniform. Alcoholic beverages intended for the Fourth Year students and above find their way into the mouths of Reya’s classmates as the five-day-revel passes without incident. The older students warmly congratulate the incoming second years, welcoming them as part of the school. Only the most mirthless of the faculty, such as Old Man Senex, don’t let their hair down and join in with the merry-making: Udi does a double-take when Mistress Ibelin and Cynis Ganan race to down a firkin of ale. Students often disappear in pairs, and come back to the party looking happy but disheveled. As midnight approaches on the fifth day, the entire school assembles outside to watch the return of the moon, which explodes into brilliant fullness marking the start of the new year.

Before the sun rises, those departing the Isle of Voices walk the winding trail down to the jetty. Reya throws on a warm and comfortable outfit in Mnemon purple and follows them at a distance watching them go. The graduates look serious – now begins a life of obligation as an adult Dynast. The dropouts look sombre – now begins a life of obligation as an adult Dynast. The dominie sees them off personally, clasping this one by the shoulder, offering that one a hand-shake. Last to leave the Isle is Cynis Ganan. Reya is too far away to hear what is said, but she sees Bhagwei embrace the man as he bids him farewell. Ganan takes one last look up at the Heptagram, and spotting Reya throws her a salute, before boarding the yacht to sail back to the mainland. Bhagwei spots her on the cliff overlooking the jetty and silently bids her to stay where she is. He walks her back to the school.

“An early start, Danireya?”

“Yes, dominie. I was… curious.”

“One cannot be faulted for curiosity. You are, of course, free to leave the grounds now. Many second years make the mistake of sleeping in on their first day.”

Reya flinches slightly, thinking of Udi laying in bed, undoubtedly hung-over. “I’d like to make a good impression on Professor Duhalva, sir.”

Bhagwei nods consideringly, “That is wise: she is rather disappointed that you choose her library to study first.”

Reya feigns ignorance, knowing exactly what Bhagwei is driving at, “Why should that be, dominie?”

Bhagwei looks at her side-long, and finding the young girl’s expression unreadable, gives an honest answer, “She had hoped that you would initiate into sorcery, that she might teach you the deeper secrets of alchemy.”

Reya blinks in mock surprise, “Dominie, I fully intend to initiate into sorcery and learn everything Professor Duhalva has to teach by the end of the year.”

Bhagwei permits himself a slight smile, “I believe you set me up for that.”

Reya tosses her hair casually and returns the smile, “A little, dominie. But I am ready to learn all the Heptagram has to teach. I won’t disappoint you.”

Bhagwei sets his sights on the school, “No… I do not believe you will.”

****

To Reya’s surprise, Udi is up by the time she returns to the dorm. The blinds are closed against the harsh light of the morning sun, and she’s moving like a zombie as she tries to shelter her head which feels like it’s about to explode, but she’s up and packing their things to move into the Hall of the Jade Cauldron. The school’s bound servitors will move them out of the first year dormitories and into the second year dorms, but like most students Udi and Reya intend to spend as much time as humanly possible in their chosen library to maximise study time and minimise downtime.

“Where’d you sneak off to?” Udi asks, her throat soar and her voice husky.

Reya shrugs casually, “Just chatting with the dominie.”

“Oh, of course!” Udi laughs, “Where else would you be but casually having tea and crumpets with the most important person in the school,” She shakes her head in disbelief at Reya’s familiarity with the headmaster, and mockingly continues, “How is old Bhags?”

Reya chuckles at her girlfriend’s irreverence, “He’s very well, and I’ll mention that you were asking after him on our next engagement. But I resent the implication that a lowly headmaster could ever be more important to this school than you or I.”

“Pack your shit, charmer!” Udi giggles, throwing a pillow at her. She looks over how Reya is dressed, “You really wearing that?”

Reya gives Udi a withering stare, “It’s cold.”

Udi shakes her head, “It’s not that cold.” She holds up what looks like a mini skirt and a vest, “I was thinking this looks cute.”

“Udi, I admire your dedication to fashion. I do. It’s one of your most endearing qualities, and I feel no shame in admitting that you posses more style than me. But how often do I complain about the cold?”

“I’m going to wear my cute little cloak!”

“I… enjoy that. I’m not changing.”

There’s a rap at the door. Udi winces as the noise assaults her delicate ears. Reya shakes her head muttering something about her being a big baby as she goes to open it. It’s Ro and Hari. Ro is wearing an outfit eerily similar to Reya’s. (Udi starts to dress.)

“What are you wearing?” Reya scowls as she looks her up-and-down.

Ro does a quick twirl, “I saw you out my window and I thought-”

“Change.”

“But-”

“Change.”

“I just-”

“And now you’re going back into uniform. Keep pushing me.”

“Sorry, mistress.” Ro says, looking at the ground.

Reya takes a moment to size up Hari. The girl is wearing fur boots, brown insulated leggings, brown mittens, and a brown fur coat.

“Hari, are you deliberately trying-?” Reya begins to ask.

“Arf!” Hari interrupts loudly. She wiggles her bottom from side to side: her leggings have a short tail stitched to them.

“Okay, that’s adorable,” Reya concedes, “You can wear that.”

“One adjustment,” Udi says as she pulls on her cloak. She’s holding a leather collar and leash, which she deftly fits to Hari’s neck. She runs the leash down the inside of Hari’s sleeve, slips her own hand through the loop, then clasps Hari’s hand in hers, “There, now you’re perfect, Puppy.” She scowls at Ro, “What are you still doing here? Go get changed into your school uniform – we’re not going to be late because of you, meet us at the library.”

Ro throws a pleading look at Reya who shoos her off with a wave of her hand. She darts back to her room to change into her first year’s uniform as Reya, Udi, and Hari make their way outside and across the grounds to the Hall of the Jade Cauldron.

****

Professor Duhalva looks from her office window at the approaching trio of new second year students. She is pleasantly surprised that they’re coming bright and early – students tend to over-do it for their first Calibration at the Heptagram (for many their first away from home and the watchful eyes of their minders). Danireya is easily spotted in her outfit of purple: Duhalva is somewhat taken back – the primary colour of House Mnemon is white, and white is the colour favoured by Danireya’s mother, Alinos, but purple is the House’s secondary colour, and is frequently worn by the matriarch herself. She is not surprised that Rowena is not with them, supposing straight away (incorrectly) that the girl is still hung-over from the night before’s festivities. She rises smartly from her desk and descends the tower to meet them at the door. She does not have high hopes for this batch of students: she taught them mathematics in their first year and found Rowena barely above average and Harite and Ludila a great disappointment. Danireya, of course, excelled in class.

The students stop and dip into a curtsey as they meet at the door to the library. Winter is beginning and there’s a chill in the air. Ludila looks cold.

“I am well aware that we are one short,” Duhalva begins tersely, “But punctuality is an important lesson you should have learned from your first year.” She makes a show of looking the students over, up and down, “Alchemy is a serious art. You will be dealing with dangerous reagents which can cause chemical burns and worse. You two,” She points at the girls on either end of the trio, “Are dressed appropriately.” Harite gives a wiggle of her behind, and Duhalva catches sight of the tail. Her eyes stray to her gloved hand, holding Ludila’s, and the end of the leash slipped around Ludila’s wrist. She decides not to comment, but locks eyes with Ludila, “But you are showing far more skin than is advisable. If you were seeking an easy library for uninitiated students to pass, you should have studied artifice: this is a serious and demanding subject.”

Reya gives a serious salute, “Indeed. The four of us discussed it at length, and we believe the demanding formulation of alchemy represents our best chance for initiating early into sorcery.”

Duhalva does a double take, “You intend to initiate in your second year?”

Reya holds her gaze unflinching, “I intend to initiate before the end of winter.”

Duhalva can’t help but crack a smile in her stony facade, “I can’t fault your ambition. Sorcery requires study, and talent, and will. I do not doubt that you lack for these. But it also requires something else. Something ineffable. The Exalted daughters of the Realm’s most renowned sorcerers sometimes fail to grasp the Quiet Art after seven years of study at the Heptagram. Mortal street urchins deprived of formal instruction sometimes self-initiate in the gutters. This fundamental… unfairness inherent in sorcery is just as much a reason why it is seen as a dark art than the hosts of demons our more theatrical colleagues surround themselves with.”

Reya gives a slight inclination of the head, “If it is not to be, then there isn’t anything I can do about that. But I choose to do everything I can do.”

At this point, Ro comes running over, dressed in her school uniform. Professor Duhalva chooses not to comment on this either, having met Rowena she dismisses it as the scatterbrained behaviour of an overly tired student.

“This way,” She says, leading them inside, “The Hall of the Jade Cauldron is divided into seven floors. This is the main library: you should not need to spend very much time here.” She leads them past a vast collection of books, the main library taking up most of the ground floor of the tower, and up a spiral staircase, “You may go anywhere in the tower that is not cordoned off by one of these green velvet ropes. Under no circumstances may you cross a rope: not even if the door beyond is ajar and you hear me calling your name. We work strange and devious magics in the Heptagram, magics which can easily run awry and lead to the death of the unwary. Other rooms, such as this one, are sealed by an alchemical formula. If you are able to solve the formula, you are able to study in the room. I would advise against convincing a more advanced student to unlock a room for you – it is likely to lead to your untimely demise as you meddle with forces you do not understand. This, is your laboratory.”

She leads them inside a large room and hands each of them a small, iron, key. Three walls are stacked from floor to ceiling with all manner of chemical and alchemical reagents and apparatus. In the middle of the room are seven workbenches, each filled with advanced alchemical equipment. The students quickly notice that three of the benches have Danireya’s name etched into them, two are marked Rowena, and that Ludila and Harite both have one of the remaining benches.

“Most of your studies, one imagines, will be conducted in this room. The library’s servants will keep it fully stocked and update your blackboard with the schedule of lectures and practical demonstrations that are relevant to your studies.” She gestures to the only wall that isn’t stocked with reagents. There are several shelves of books, a door leading out of the room, and an enormous blackboard, a small part of which is a dedicated calendar that already has a number of lectures marked. “The faculty offices are on the top floor. You will need to earn 125 credits to pass my library: these may be earned over multiple years if you are not up to the task of earning them in a single year. Should you wish to sleep in your laboratory, a small living area is provided through that far door – but I caution you that the facilities are minimal and remind you that your assigned rooms are back in the Hall of Terrestrial Puissance. As second year students, you are free to enter any of the Heptagram’s seven libraries, apart from the Hall of Verdigris, though doing so uninvited is often… foolish. You may, at your own discretion, leave the grounds to conduct experiments elsewhere on the Isle of Voices, though doing so without the approval and supervision of a faculty member is… ill advised. For reasons I am sure three of you grasp?”

Reya, Udi, and Ro don’t need to be reminded of the fact that they were nearly eaten by fogsharks the first time they wandered off the grounds.

“Do you have any questions?”

Ro cautiously raises a hand, “Professor… how, exactly, do we earn credits to pass the library?”

Professor Duhalva gives her a long, hard stare, “Allow me to rephrase: do you have any sensible questions?”

“No, professor,” Reya says quickly, “Thank you for your time.”

“Very good,” Duhalva half-turns to sweep out of the room, but thinks the better of it. She fixes Rowena with her gaze, “If you are too dull to work out the process for graduating the Heptagram, you may wish to consult with your classmates or the older students.” And with that parting remark, she leaves the girls standing in the middle of their laboratory.

“That’s it?” Udi asks, “‘Welcome to the Jade Cauldron, good luck learning alchemy’?”

Reya shrugs, “I don’t remember her wishing us good luck.”

“This is bullshit!” Udi exclaims.

Ro nods, “It does seem a little… unreasonable?”

“This isn’t primary school, girls,” Reya snaps, “This is the Heptagram. We’ve been given a list of relevant lectures and our personal library and explicitly told that everything we need is in this room. If you need someone to hold your hands and give you homework and spank you when you get out of line, then you’ve got me. But otherwise, act like an adult and take charge of your own learning.”

Hari cautiously raises her hand.

“What is it, Puppy?”

“Umm… how do we get credits to pass the course?”

Reya ignores her, “Unpack your shit and take inventory of when the lectures are and what books we’ve got. If we’re lucky, they might already be ordered for us based on a study plan. Ro, make sure Puppy doesn’t trip and swallow her tongue – if the books aren’t in order, look at the lecture titles and try to work something out. Udi, come with me: we’re going to explore the rest of the tower.”

Udi detaches Hari’s leash and obediently follows Reya out of the room. As soon as the door is closed, she takes Reya’s hand and says, “You have no idea how we earn credits do you?”

“Unless you want to tell me, that’s what we’re going to find out now.” Reya grins as she walks off hand-in-hand with Udi.

****

The girl’s work space is built for Dragon-Blooded use. The workbenches are far enough apart that anima flux shouldn’t prove disruptive. All the tools are well protected, secured to the table-top, and treated against the elements.

The living space is not.

It’s clearly meant as a place to crash for students who stay up well into the night and are too tired to return to the dorms. Never-mind Dynastic standards, the room is smaller than most peasant hovels: it’s little more than a large cupboard. There is no natural light or unnatural light, for that matter – it is lit entirely by whatever light makes it through the doorway, or by whatever light-source the girls bring into the room from the outside. The two bunk-beds are practically on top of each other, with just enough room for Harite to squeeze between them – one bad anima flare will destroy them both. There’s a wet wash-room annex, which is tiny but furnished with running water and a miniscule kitchenette (it seems easier to prepare food at the alchemy stations, which includes kilns and burners which could be used to grill food). There is no storage space for the girls to dump their things, not so much as a wardrobe for a change of clothes (the girls leave their luggage in the lab, which has plenty of room). But it is clean and functional.

****

Reya and Udi don’t have to go far before coming to the other lab on their floor. The door is slightly ajar. Reya knocks. Udi barges straight in.

The lab is slightly smaller – only five work benches – and there appear to only be two students, boys not much older than Reya and Udi. They nudge each other as Udi brazenly invades their workspace. It looks to the girls as if they’ve picked the right room, they already have potions bubbling under heat and essays half-scribbled.

Reya shrugs apologetically, “We’re your new neighbours. Sorry to walk in on you but Professor Duhalva did say we could go anywhere in the tower we could get into. I’m Mnemon Alinos Danireya, this is my counter-part, Ledaal Ludila. We’re second years.”

“How do you earn credits?” Udi snaps, getting straight to the point.

One of the boys rolls his eyes and reluctantly hands the other a jade bit. It’s clear they had some kind of bet going.

“Let’s say I’m Ragara Malor and he’s Iselsi Topup: why in Creation would we help a Mnemon and a Ledaal?”

Reya makes an offhand gesture, “Well, I admire your dedication to your families. I’d make an appeal to the notion that we’re all House Heptagram first and foremost and that we owe our fellow sorcerers (or, at least, aspiring sorcerers) familial loyalty. But you might find this more compelling: House Mnemon and House Ragara might hate each other, but sometimes, we have to work together. When your matriarch needs an ‘in’ with my House, you could have an established ally – an old school friend – and you’ll be able to step up to the plate. Not a bad position for a sorcerer to be in.”

The boys consider for a moment and exchange a look, “I’m Cynis Wisel Malor and this is Cynis Belar Veris. Third years.”

Udi eyes them up slowly, “Two older Cynis boys… could be worse.”

Malor and Veris exchange another look. They really like looking at each other before they talk and Malor seems to be the vocal one. “Each elemental cycle, you can earn a maximum of 25 credits in a library. And you need to earn the maximum every cycle to graduate in a year. Which is… basically impossible, but when you fall short you don’t have to repeat the whole year unless you suck. Just take some make-up classes.”

Veris speaks, “Which, undoubtedly, will put you behind for that year’s work. So try and get four ‘almost passes’ then-”

Reya raises a hand to cut him off, “Yes, we know that part: how do we actually get the credits?”

“Your matriarch didn’t go over this with you when you were accepted into the Heptagram? Are you sure you’re from Great House Mnemon? I would have thought you’d be born knowing this. A professor or an associate professor needs to accredit your academic work: you tell your sponsor what you’re doing, you do it, they give you a number of credits. Basically a grade.”

Udi rounds of Reya suspiciously, “Did your mother really not tell you that?”

Reya draws a five pointed star across her breast, “Cross my heart: she probably thought it’d be funny. But at least it wasn’t particularly difficult to find out, and this way we’ve made friends with some third years.”

Malor smiles, it’s actually quite winsome, “So… how come you two got the big lab? You two geniuses or something?”

Reya winces, “There’s four of us.”

“Ouch,” Veris gives her a consoling look, “Who drew the short straw? You really need two work-benches each if you’re going to pass. If Duhalva only gives you one bench, it means she doesn’t think you’ve got what it takes. Malor really is a genius, that’s why he gets three.”

Malor shrugs demurely. Udi balls her hands into fists and looks ready to punch Veris in the face.

Reya steps in quickly, “I’m sure the four of us will be able to work together to make sure everyone gets through. I’m more concerned with meeting the right people and not going insane from the stress of studying, right, Udi?”

Udi makes a non-committal grunt.

“So, if you two are ever doing anything… interesting, keep us in mind, eh?”

Malor shakes his head, “There’s an Immaculate service every Sunsday, if you’re devout. That’s the only social event we know about… but we’ll… keep you in mind.”

Reya gives Malor a last look over, flicking her eyes from feet to head. She sighs and turns to leave. “Heel, Udi. Apparently we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us.”

****

The girls return to the room. Ro and Hari are surrounded by books, which Ro is busy sorting into piles and ordering as Hari takes notes as they organise a study plan.

“Progress?” Reya asks as they enter.

Ro doesn’t look up, “The books were in alphabetical order. But looking at the lectures and the titles, I think we’ve got a workable schedule here. There’s a lot of content, but if we divide the reading between the four of us… I think we’ll make it.”

“Good,” Reya explains how the marking works, “Needless to say, you and I shall draft the proposals then Udi and I will get the professors to sign off on them.”

Hari sheepishly hands Reya a copy of their study plan. Reya flicks her eyes over it – it seems to cover all the set lectures and a large chunk of the reading. Ro scribbles out an essay proposal and hands it to Hari who passes it to Reya.

“This works, come on, Udi, let’s go find a teacher.”

****

Reya and Udi climb the tower. Green rope and magical wards block off large sections of the higher floors. Eventually, a beast made of broken branches and tangled roots blocks their path. The creature, the size of a large dog, but it’s body in the shape of a grotesque spider, turns and hisses at them viciously.

Udi flicks a dagger into her hand and prepares to charge.

“Put that away!” Reya reprimands, “That’s one of Mistress Leaf’s spiders.” She addresses the elemental, “Where is your mistress?”

The wood spider seems to consider for a moment. Reya knows they’re capable of speech, but it silently slinks away. A tall woman, wood aspected, covered in blue woad tattoos, appears shortly.

Reya bows slightly, “Mistress Sorrowful Leaf, my fellow second years and I would like to submit the following essay proposal, if you would be good enough to endorse and grade us.”

Sorrowful Leaf takes the proposal without ceremony, not quite snatching it, and she looks it over, “It’s a basic introductory essay. Do you have a wider scheme of study?”

“We’ve only begun our study this morning, mistress,” Reya begins, feigning modesty as she hands over the study plan Hari and Ro put together, “But, I have taken the liberty of outlining a rough scheme of work.”

Sorrowful Leaf looks over the schedule, “Planning on taking it easy after your Year of Hell are you? I don’t advise it.”

Reya forces a smile, “Mistress, this covers every topic covered by every lecture this year. With extensive reading around the subject matter.”

“Every lecture?” Sorrowful Leaf pulls a face, “In the first instance, you’re responsible for guiding your own learning. Planning around the lecture time-table instead of seeking out opportunities to expand your knowledge is a sure path to failure. Secondly, the alchemy lectures which have have been time-tabled already make up maybe… a third of the number which will be run this year.”

“Are you saying we need to do three times this amount of work to pass?!” Udi exclaims.

Sorrowful Leaf’s perplexed expression deepens, “No, I’m saying that if you do three times this amount of work you’ll still fail. Reading around the lectures is a start, but it isn’t enough. You have to actively pursue knowledge within the field of alchemy. It wouldn’t hurt if you actively contributed to the field with new research, either: teach us a thing or two.”

“But the introductory essay?”

“It’ll do as an opener. This is Rowena’s brushwork: I could see you and her earning three, maybe four, credits if your essays are distinct. Get them to me before midday on Saturnsday if you expect me to look at Harite and Ludila’s work as well.”

Sorrowful Leaf’s eyes drift over to Udi’s hand, which is still gripping her dagger. Udi seems about to jump her. She raises an eyebrow.

“Come on, Udi,” Reya says, “We’ve got to discover a new fundamental principle of alchemy in the next three months.”
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Lessons of Dynasty Part 2: Interlude Years