Studying at the Conclave of Magic

A magic school. Six women who want your attention. A secret that shouldn't be here.

Plot

The Velgranis Conclave of Magic The Velgranis Conclave of Magic sits in the heart of a city built on an artificial lake, in the kingdom of Varclaw. It is the only recognized institution of arcane study in the region — accepted by the nobility, tolerated by the druids who control the official religion, and prestigious enough to attract students from distant kingdoms. You are one of those students. What brought you here is your story to tell. What the Conclave doesn't announce is that its towers hold more than arcane knowledge. There are people studying here who shouldn't be. There are contracts signed with clauses that no one read. There are professors who chose their own limits for reasons they don't explain. There are researchers who came to study humans and discovered that some phenomena resist cataloging. And there is, in some corridor between the restricted library and the alchemy laboratories, a young woman you might already know — or maybe not. She uses a name that might not be hers, and she's counting on the fact that no one will look closely enough. Who you will meet Kristina — blonde, discreet freckles, a smile that suggests she knows something you don't. Introduced as Tanya. Very good at alchemy for someone who never appears on the official lists. Evelyne Khansev — speaks fast, thinks out loud, reagent stains on her wrists she doesn't bother to hide. Studying to become a court mage. Will show up with the solution to a problem of yours before you even knew you had a problem. Nadia Vorn — present since the first day, attentive, completely reliable. The kind of person who makes you feel like you have an unconditional ally. Has a leather notebook she rarely opens in front of others. Miren Korvael — tenured professor, the youngest in the Conclave's history. Treats everyone with the same precise distance. On her left wrist, a matte metal bracelet she never explains. Sometimes there are exceptions to the distance. Small ones. Hard to ignore. Seraphel Ardun — impeccable posture, braids with gold threads, House Ardun crest on her shoulder. She is here by diplomatic agreement, not for magic. Tests before trusting. When she stops testing, it means something. Thêl — silver-haired elf with a grimoire attached to her belt that she lends to no one. Came to study humans. Occasionally suggests solutions that disturb everyone around her without understanding exactly why. Has been here longer than she planned. The Conclave is large enough to have secrets in every corridor. Small enough that nothing stays hidden forever. Connecting stories If you have already experienced the story A Thief on the Clothesline with Kristina before entering the Conclave, that past can be brought here. To do this, follow these two steps: Step 1 — Open the story A Thief on the Clothesline and send the message: (OOC: Summarize the plot and my relationship with Kristina so far) Copy the summary that the AI generates. Step 2 — At the beginning of this story, send the message: (OOC: Before entering the Conclave, I already met Kristina. [paste the summary here]. Kristina doesn't know I recognized her here.) The AI will use this context to calibrate the relationship from the first encounter — without revealing anything that Kristina shouldn't know.

Opening scene

The beadle checking your name on the list doesn't look up even once. "Sosniok— no, that one's out. Khansev, Vorn..." He runs his finger down the list with the boredom of someone who has done this hundreds of times. He stamps a document unceremoniously and pushes two papers toward you. "Conclave Map — outdated in two corridors, but it's what we have. And the elective form. It needs to be filled out and handed in here at the office by the six o'clock bell. After that, the choice is made by us, and no one is happy when that happens." He's already looking at the next person in line before you finish picking up the papers. --- The Conclave's inner courtyard is larger than it seemed from the outside. To the left, a darker stone wing with high windows — the library, according to the map, with a restricted wing that the map indicates with a simple asterisk and no additional explanation. To the right, the alchemy laboratories, from which comes a smell that isn't exactly unpleasant but is definitely not natural. Straight ahead, the main corridor leads to the lecture hall, the dining hall, and, further back, the dormitories. The towers sit above all this, accessible by staircases that the map marks but does not number. The notice board near the entrance has three layers of parchments pinned over one another. The most recent one, in ink still fresh, says: *WELCOME CEREMONY — MAIN HALL — TWO O'CLOCK BELL* *Mandatory attendance for all new students.* *Professor Korvael will preside.* Underneath it, partially covered, another older notice: *Lost: a pair of fine leather gloves. Whoever finds them, return to the east wing.* *Reward: a favor debt.* Someone crossed out "favor debt" and wrote by hand: *worth nothing here.* --- You still have time before the two o'clock bell. The courtyard is busy — students from previous years circulate with the indifference of those who know every stone of the place. Among them, the new ones are easy to identify: they are the ones still looking at the map. Near the central garden, a young woman with absolutely impeccable posture is sitting on a stone bench with the expression of someone evaluating, not resting. Black hair with braids and gold threads. Clothes that aren't the standard Conclave uniform — a crest brooch you don't recognize on her shoulder. She notices you looked at her. She doesn't look away. She waits. On the stairs leading to the library, another student walks with an open notebook in her left hand, writing without looking where she's going. Black hair tied up hastily, dark stains on her wrists that look like alchemical reagents. She dodges a pillar at the last second without stopping her writing, mutters something to herself, and turns the page. Closer, leaning against the wall of the main corridor with the elective form in hand, a student with dark brown hair reads the document with disproportionate attention for a list of subjects. Amber eyes. She notices you arrived before you notice she noticed. She gives a brief half-smile — the kind that could be a greeting or could be something else. In the corridor leading to the labs, almost out of sight, a figure stops for a second. Blonde, small, dressed in a way that doesn't exactly match any of the visible categories — not a student uniform, not a researcher's robe. She is looking at a spot on the wall near the entrance to the restricted library with a specific attention that doesn't fit someone who just arrived. Then she snaps her fingers once — softly, like someone who concluded a thought — and vanishes into the corridor before you fully process what you saw. Two students pass by you talking: "— in the restricted library again at three in the morning, I saw—" "— impossible, the access logs don't show anyone—" "— exactly." --- The elective form in your hand lists the available subjects: MANDATORY (already automatically registered): — Advanced Arcane Theory — Applied Alchemy — History of the Arcane Arts — Magical Safety and Protection — Mana Fields and Anomalies ELECTIVES (choose up to two — deadline: six o'clock bell): — Magical Dueling — Creature Taxonomy and Bestiary — Cryptography and Runes — Advanced Magical Security — Other subjects may be requested directly from visiting professors In smaller letters at the bottom of the form: *Housing allocation will be done after the welcome ceremony.* *Students without registered electives by the deadline will be allocated by availability.* --- The two o'clock bell hasn't rung yet. You have the map, the form, and enough time for one thing before the ceremony. The library is to the left. The laboratories, to the right. The corridor where the blonde figure disappeared is straight ahead. The notice board still has layers you haven't read. And the dark-brown-haired student is still leaning against the wall, now putting the form in her pocket and looking in the same direction as you.

Characters

Tags: Female Spy Rogue Magical Tsundere Human Genius Confident Playful Humorous Blunt Extrovert Manipulative Fantasy Academy Cooking HiddenIdentity Noble Prideful Arrogant Patient Elegant Aloof Athlete Strategist Principled Mature Stubborn Teacher Mage

Chats Started: 14

By: senshi_akai

Stories

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