Misthaven Orin Rakatha

AFire Day, 5thCADEMY Planting Moon, 4 AC JOURNAL10 Gest Void 1 - Masters 0 Recently the factions have gotten used to beings of power walking amongst them. These so- called “Masters of Lore” came out of nowhere, assumed a position of power over the factions, and they have now, just as quickly, disappeared. All without the assembled factions questioning their existence, their motivations, or their allegiances. These powerful entities, or anthro- their own strength so perhaps this will pomorphic embodiments of ideals, help focus people towards working for appeared to draw their powers directly the greater good, allying themselves from the nodes of power. If that is true with an entity of true power, and for- then these beings should have been im- get about relying on the false hopes of mensely strong, tapping into unlimited “magic”. supplies of energy. The Void brings unity. It is focussed However, when the forces of the and unrelenting. It demonstrates what Void showed up the Masters were can be achieved is you put your mind to swiftly destroyed, and all without much it – something the factions have been of a fi ght! Over the course of afew lacking for a while. This unity will help months this mighty team of beings overcome the dangerous forces that are were swept aside as the nodes they rep- sure to come. resented were put under siege and then The Void brings strength and power destroyed. to those that follow it. The way it swift- What does this say about the Masters ly cast aside the Masters easily demon- of Lore? Or does it say more for the strates how much power it wields. How creatures of the Void? can the factions hope to succeed where Or perhaps it says more about the the Masters failed? entities that remain? From the most in fear of the Void. The Void is nothing to be feared. accurate reports that have come in, The Void is becoming the prevalent Embrace it. Work with it. Taste it. It only Mistress Crow and the Master of strength within Orin Rakatha. Many can help you grow and achieve your Waystations remain standing against see this as a “bad thing” but that isn’t dreams. Given the alternative of mak- the tide that is the Void. And, if the necessarily the case. The factions have ing Crow work hard what choice do rumours are true then even the Black become too reliant on the nodes of you have? Pharoah himself has gone into hiding magical power instead of nurturing by Istan Spellweaver Illegal Baby Trading? There have been a disturbing number of rumours circu- lating recently about an alleged series of events which, if proven true, may bring to light some truly unsavoury be- haviour by several of those that attended the last gathering of the factions. If the astonishing, but unsubstantiated, claims are true, then it would ap- pear that members of both the Keepers and the Summer Stars may have become involved in the trading of illegal goods which would alarm even the shadiest of characters. Further investigation will be needed to corroborate, or deny, this apparent scandal which supposedly ended with a transaction that saw an elven child baby being traded, as if it were common currency, for mundane material goods, using the dark shroud of night to obscure their appalling activities. If you have any information to add to this claim, or know of any lost elven baby, please contact Artemus Black via the tavern waiting staff. All informa- tion will be kept confi dential and a reward may be given if the information leads to concrete evidence of the above claims. Not a baby trader (as far as we know) Page 2 Misthaven Academy Journal, Fire Day, 5th Planting Moon, 4 AC

V.O.D.K.A - (Vagrants of Dionate Kick Alcohol) by Oschan Dde’ Agwyn Following what was yet another eventful alcohol fuelled quest for the homeless merrymakers The Vagrants of Dionate, members within the fac- tion have decided to stage an intervention to protect their other compatriots from almost certain humiliating, alcohol fuelled death. The recent tragic ac- cident of their very own Master of Lore, (whose dominion over the way- faring demon Alcohol has certainly diminished following an unfortunate disagreement with a tree root whilst possessed by an inordinate amount of liquor) has led them to fear their once treasured substance of abuse. With the uncertainty of their Master of Lore (whose fate now laid in the hands of the Gods), faction members turned to the only thing they could in troubling times which almost led to the demise of yet another Vagrant who was heard trying to bribe anyone who answered their call to kill them, rather than deal with the ensuing aftermath of being keelhauled twice in one night. In response to this world wide affliction the charity V.O.D.K.A was born. V.O.D.K.A is a support network for anyone be they Human, Fae, Beast or Unclassified, who have suffered or fear near certain death whilst possessed by bad Spirits. Whilst speaking with one of the co-founders Palin of the Va- grants he stated that ‘Had such a group exist in times past then perhaps our dear Poops would still be with us today, had she not been drunk before running into battle her head may still be attached to her shoulders.’ Palin has also seen first-hand the consequenc- es of Alcohol, now recovering from the amputation of his wings after they were ripped from his back by an im- measurable amount of water, he vows to save as many who are willing from the same fate. The question one has to ask however is; What are the signs that I may be possessed by alcohol? To help you on this quest of tolerance we have devel- oped a simple guide that has taken many moons in the making over many a tankard of Ale. V.O.D.K.A represent- atives have suffered the indignities of this audacious af- fliction so that others may learn from our investigations. 1. If you cannot feel various members of your ex- hath no place here. The dancing we talk of here tremities, then you are highly likely to be under the does not even feature in your darkest nightmares, possession of alcohol. However it may be highly especially when a top a vicariously placed ‘sturdy’ likely that you have fallen victim to an alcohol based chair. mutilation whereby your once loved body parts 5. When the incantation ‘Who wants another have been removed by a hungry Orc, or in Palin’s round?’ leaves your lips you are almost minutes case a canopy full of rain water. away from certain death. No creature of sanity 2. Following any form of Alcoholic intake ‘Good would ever mutter these words unless highly pos- Idea’s’ do not exist. Beware those that suggest ‘Let’s sessed by Alcohol. No longer satisfied with taking go storm the Goblin guarded tunnel!’, many a good one soul, Alcohol persists to bring about the demise idea hath ended at the table of a Goblin. of multiple life forms in the most undignified of fash- 3. Beware unmarked bottles with contents de- ions. scribed as ‘Angels Orgasm’ or ‘Angel of Death’, 6. The inability to stand. In these cases I’m afraid there is nothing Angelic about these drinks, apart to say that no God or helpful V.O.D.K.A guide can from your soul as it leaves your once warm body. help you now. Simply crawl to the nearest bush/ 4. Alcohol induced dancing, this is a clear indica- ditch/cesspit and hope not to be eaten by a wolf or tion of Alcohol possession. Elegant Elvish dancing hungry drunken Vagrant. Research is ongoing in this field and any further advances in understanding and knowledge will be presented to the Journal forthwith. V.O.D.K.A will launch this year and welcomes any who wish to fight against this unparalleled foe. Meetings will be held at the Pickled Pixie (if the Vagrants manage to come around from their drunken slumber), further information on times and dates to be advertised at the tavern. Misthaven Academy Journal, Fire Day, 5th Planting Moon, 4 AC Page 3 clear to me, and further Intel should be From Offi ce of the Jarl of Kjoiafell obtained at the next gathering. We were Public Announcement regarding Ra- of serenity’ around camps or provide repeatedly engaged by void creatures. ven jarl Kori meetings with the Azad’an ‘The festival Waystation Tavern’ as a We encountered representatives of the and the Valley People in regards to the central safe place for those in attend to Dymwan family Serene, who were us- next festival gathering. gather and be fed. ing undead creatures to fi ght the Void. On Steel day 4th of Hunter moon Also, the strong infl uence of the evil Their leader was quite disparaging of 2AC, as instructed by Wolfgar Roland, sphere on Axos means the Azad’an fear the Asgard achievements and all festi- I led a small party of Asgard to the rep- that trying to establish the Ritual Circle val nation in general. Given his group resentatives of the Azad’an regarding via a neutral sphere was an uncertain strength in numbers and the higher pri- the next festival and the ongoing Void gamble and even if it was established ority mission, the insults were tolerated threat. Also at this meeting were repre- nations using rituals would like be re- for the time being. sentatives of Summer Stars, the Shad- stricted to an evil sphere rituals only, In late afternoon, we encountered owsfall Keepers, the Forgotten/Court again making the festival uneven. most peculiar void creatures dressed in of a thousand Swords and the Knights From liaising with nations that had Orange robes and Feather head dress- of the Cold Dawn. previously under- es, they demanded the return of their taken past mis- property. Unable to help we were force sions to Axos it to defend ourselves and dispatch this was clear that a group. high number of Not long afterwards my scout re- combat and magic ported a destroyed waystation but had encounters could sighted a valley party at another nearby be expected espe- waystation. cially with more I took the shaman Alannah and ap- powerful ‘evil’ proached the group. We discovered monsters. evidence that a hepath ritual had been While I’m sure recently completed by the Valley party. my Asgard kin Upon entering the waystation it was would welcome clear they did indeed travel with an in- these additional dividual member whom wore the voice challenges and the of mystic colours and most of the par- To summarise the meeting: extra opportunity for a glorious death ty had residual hepath teleport magic It seems that the prior conversation in battle, it was clear from the meeting upon then. A discrete magical message between the Azad’an and the Valley as that holding the festival on Axos would spell was sent to the Azad’an. the voice of the Mystics had identifi ed not suit many festival nations and We were soon joined by representa- that one of the things to re-install the something would need to be done nodes was blood from now extinct (on to restore the festival balance. Orin Rakatha) Bloodline. However, the The Azad’an also informed us Azad’an had acquired a lead that some- that the Valley Nations seemed of one from one of the required blood- the general opinion that the na- lines which could be found on the tions of the Festival, including the plane known as Axos. Sadly as Axos Halls of Asgard, were not actively is the plane of Evil Sphere, this would assisting with defending Orin cause some severe logistical problems Rakatha from the void threat, and for the Festival. thus there would not be looked The major problems with a festival on favourably at the next time of mission to Axos would be: reckoning, when the void was de- With no access to the Good Sphere feated. would mean that the Azan’an could It was therefore agreed amongst not establish the Festival Boon/Bane those in attendance to take imme- on those in attendance thus making diate action. The Azad’an asked older and more establish factions much each nation in attendance to seek stronger and allow them to deploy indi- out a valley party with some offi - viduals with special abilities or greater cial authority to discuss the issues. strength to the gathering. The Azad’an It took most of the day for my also fear that the presence of uneven Raven Asgard party to locate a strength was highly likely to encourage suitable Valley group. During this some nations to use the opportunity to time, we were caught up in the For- tives of the Tinyare faye (Summers settle old scores/blood feuds. gotten/Sword of 1000 courts internal Stars), Shadowfall Keepers and the It would also mean the Azad’an dispute, something to do with a Red Azad’an. Thus, the more important would be unable to establish any ‘aura King/Black Queen, the details weren’t meeting occurred. Page 4 Misthaven Academy Journal, Fire Day, 5th Planting Moon, 4 AC In Summary: warriors to attack the party and try to fall Keepers would give safe passage on The Valley are feeling isolated in re- retake the mist gate. These were the the Requiem to and from Axos at for a sponding to this Void threat and would creatures in Orange with Feathers we Valley party at a time to be agreed sepa- welcome more active support from the encounter earlier. rately later. In exchange the Azad’an other nations. The Valley Leader an individual and festival nations would use the mist gate and go to Moki Mountains and Their falling out with the Wizard’s name Felix said they intended to take seek out the individuals and/or arte- Concillium meant they were restricted the mist gate back to their nation and facts to allow the Otemi Bloodline res- from accessing the world gate, this in sent a mission to the Moki Mountain. toration on Orin Rakatha. turn reduced their abilities/options to Given that the gate address was Evil, travel off Orin Rakatha and locate peo- Earth and Necromancy they wished After a bit of posturing and mi- ple of the required bloodlines. to be prepared to encounter multiple nor fi ne point agreements the deal groups of undead and potentially earth was agreed. The Keeper representa- Having visited the Iron Islanders, a elementals. tives guaranteed safe passage to/from bunch of Norse that the ignorant mis- Axos, but sensibly weren’t going to take for Asgards, they had managed to After establishing with the Azad’an hang around in the interim. While the enter a dream realm and recover a mist that while Moki Mountains did fall un- Azad’an took ownership of the Mist- gate pre-set to the Otemi Home plane der the evil sphere it was unlike Axos gate. of the Moki Mountains. Unfortunately in that the Good Sphere could still be the Iron Island magic was hepath based reached for power and spells. With the deal agree we return to our and the responsible hepath was void After a bit of internal festival dis- respective nations. tainted and was thus sending void crea- cussion it was agreed that if the Valley by Shaman Kori, Asgard tures in the appearance of the Otemi agreed to swap missions, the Shadow- Keepers Crew Management I have had the fortune on the very odd oc- casion to be asked… How Exactly do I keep such bumbling, misbegotten, useless, and generally dysfunctional band of brigands, cut-throats, wenches, and scrubwatch in line? Before now, I have simply taken a shot of rum and replied; “You think I keep them in line?” However, it must be said that I have been disingenuous. I do keep them in line, and here are a few ideas that you may wish to ponder when it comes to maintaining order, and discipline among your own crew. will resent you and you will fi nd a dagger in 1. Don’t leave your crew unemployed your heart. I fi nd rum works well. I understand, and believe me I know, that 4. Discipline it is all too easy to become involved in saving I remind my crew, that the beatings will Orin Rakatha. It is a full time occupation, continue until moral improves. Fortunate- and requires the leaders of many nations to ly, moral is fairly high at the moment, as be come together and organise things. How- there is rum, good tidings, and my crew feel ever, if you do not give your crew tasks ap- useful. propriate to their natures, they will become Using these rules, we’ve been able to do bored. This leads to… Unfortunately acci- much more as a crew than we are ever able dents. to do alone. Although I don’t say it to them, 2. Lead by example as I’d like to leave some rum in the hold, March at the front, and don’t ask someone I am proud of them. If anyone doubts my else to do something that they haven’t seen word that my crew are the most devious, un- you do before, or wouldn’t do. derhanded, gloriously bloodthirsty, and ef- 3. Rewards fective crew in the whole of Orin Rakatha, let me know, and we can demonstrate. Reward tasks well done. If you do not, they Misthaven Academy Journal, Fire Day, 5th Planting Moon, 4 AC Page 5

The Calendar of Orin Rakatha Palin MacGregor Progressions of Days The calendar of Orin Rakatha can be confus- ing, because so many of its inhabitants come from many cultural backgrounds and people speak of different systems of monitoring the passage of time. One summers stars member commented that, ‘The more common people in our midst often refer to days such as ‘Friday’ or ‘Saturday’, which are uncouth and leave the more refined amongst us wondering when an event will take place. I mean usually this is to avoid it so we don’t have to smell the peasants any longer than we need to, but I have missed a bespoke quiche tasting event because of this in the past.’ Progressions of Months However the most common calendar I shall pre- The year is also split into 12 months, each of be- sent below to help us all be on the same page, and tween 28-31 days which are in line with cycles of more importantly, at the same place at the same the moon. Human women seem to take extra care time. Although this is common knowledge to many in knowing at what point we are in the cycle of of you, for new comers or those who use a differ- the moon, although the reason eludes me. All I do ent date system this information may be pertinent. know is that after spending time with six of them As a budding astrologer I also find it necessary to together in a family home within the borders of the educate on this matter so that I can warn you of Asgards homeland one winter, was that the strong- your potentially saucy, gory or financially lucrative est seems to take chemical control of the others via some kind of feminine hygiene magic which left them crying, screaming and howling at the moon like a pack a blood-frenzied dogs. I would have sus- pected them to be werewolves but the moon wasn’t full and it’s reportedly extremely hard to make a werewolf bleed. Let me assure you this was not the case. The months progress in the following way: Cold Moon Bone Moon Wind Moon fates in store for you the future. Are the stars gun- Fools Moon ning for you to slap on a pair of sexy pants? Or Planting Moon are they saying ‘Don’t eat that Buritto you muppet, Green Growing Moon don’t you know that the gravity flux of the outer planetary system is going to play amuck with your High Sun lower bowel today’? Harvest Moon The days in the Orin Rakatha week are cyclic, and Hunting Moon work on a seven day repetitive system, so assuming Leaf Fall Moon no Chronomancer decides to mess with this any- Turning Moon time soon the days move naturally in this progres- Snow Moon sion: The way in which these influence your zodiac Moon Day signs are going to be determined by the book I Air Day found rustling round the library; ‘Cryptic Craig: All Water Day I look at is Balls’. I hope you find my future divina- Earth Day tions inspiring. Any information you know about Fire Day the strange workings of human females during the phases of the moon, please go into great detail and Steel Day send to me by owl. For science. Sun Day Page 6 Misthaven Academy Journal, Fire Day, 5th Planting Moon, 4 AC Everything is not as it appears! Many factions have attended the meets over the years. Some have ebbed, some have fl owed, but some have been constant powers and are known to all but the newest that walk amongst us. Each of these great factions has a history, a reputation, an identity – or so we are led to believe. But if you spend time to look past their facades you might start to see chinks in their personas – many of the factions you know and love/hate are not what you believe them to be. It is quite possible that they are now what they believe them to be! The Horde tion gatherings! The Sons of Bethe- Their ranks are visibly full of political backstabbing, jos- lim used to strike fear tling for power to the point where brother will take arms into their foes. These against a brother! At the last gathering they demonstrated goblinoid races used to this degenerate behaviour as two of their ‘fi nest’ fought each be wild, angry, and al- other to the death. Such devotion to family. ways looking for a fi ght. They deal and trade with vampires, even allowing them to They were regularly seen live and travel with them. They bicker like unruly children out hunting and other and rarely demonstrate any form of cohesion or unity. This factions would actively is clearly evidenced by the fractures within their people be- move out of their way. coming so profound that they have completely split, unable But that was then and to bare travelling with their ‘friends’. then is not now. The Keepers It is my belief that their decent to where they are now Well, what can was instigated by Pug. Once a fearless leader he let himself you say about this become distracted and became enamoured with the Squires. sect within the Instead of hunting for prey he became more interested in Shadowsfall? What- playing with the children, even giving them a childish moni- ever words come ker of “Pug’s Army”. to your mind when And now with Pug’s mysterious absence, I believe he is you hear the name training to become a kindergarten teacher, the Horde have it is highly likely continued down the path that he started, becoming timid, they are the wrong predictable, and almost shy – often they get so nervous that words. You really they don’t even venture out of their camp! think they are the Summer Stars Keepers of Lore? Otherwise known as Laire Tinwé this foundling group of The only thing they elves have seen better times. Once the great healers of the value is rum, and how often they can drink it. They should Realm these previously upstanding and noble people have become the founding members of the Orin Rakatha Alco- taken several direction changes, which each step bringing holics Anonymous! them closer to darkness. And Loyalty is certainly not something they hold dear. Historians have identifi ed when it started – it was when Claiming to worship a being of darkness, then when their the Stars decided to harbour werewolves. This innocent act word was put to the test they turned away to another, scared of benevolence towards a homeless pack led to them being and fearful, spurning the one they had once pledged their infected by the Wyrm and their corruption began. allegiance. Since then they have become more and more insular. They Others believe they may be pirates. But that is even less have performed rituals that involved sacrifi cing one of their likely than being lore keepers. Pirates need to be strong, ship- own against their will, they have stripped and tortured an worthy, capable of fi ghting, and organised. None of those innocent young female devotee, and have even corrupted traits can be claimed be the Keepers. Hell, they don’t even Nature himself, turning him against the other people that have a parrot – their cat probably ate it. revered him. Cold Dawn The Asgard The Knights of the Cold Dawn were an impressive force Noble warriors of the North. At least, that’s what they’d when they fi rst even the realms of Orin Rakatha. But these have you believe. righteous demon hunters have taken several steps since then All mead, song, – none of them forwards. Their proud acts of might are just women, cama- distant memories. raderie and axes, Much like the Asgard there has been much dissension in any order you amongst their ranks, and whilst it hasn’t led to in-faction please. Maybe this fi ghting it has caused discord in their previously regimented is true in their order. There are few respites from this which only usually homeland but come when they all “Taste the Rainbow” and fall into de- these traits cer- bauched parties. tainly don’t follow Even when a major demon threatened the realm, a time them to the fac- when the Cold Dawn should have shined, they were found Misthaven Academy Journal, Fire Day, 5th Planting Moon, 4 AC Page 7 wanting and impotent. The cause of this complete descent everywhere, now they are rarely into madness has yet to be identifi ed, but it is rumoured to found anywhere. be related to Matabar retraining, and becoming domesticated I never thought that “timid” and, as the saying goes, “under the thumb”. would become a word I’d asso- Wizard’s Concillium ciate with the Crimson Winter. The fi nest wizards in the land. By their reputation I expected The pride of the University. The them to be leaders, people to masters of the written word. follow, and pioneers. The re- Don’t make me laugh! Back ality though shows them in a when they were led by Rex there very different light. They have may have been hints of this but become followers, serfs, and now they paint a very different layabouts. picture. This reclusive band of… Ironically, even with the Dag- mages seem to be withdrawing ger of Truth, their eyes over- from the realm. look the evidence of their cur- The only trait that they’ve man- rent path. Their plight is highlighted by their ritualists – the aged to preserve over the years have so much power, but are yet to use it for anything useful isn’t the most valuable. They still and long lasting. They dabble instead of create, they play like to have tea parties. With bis- instead of fi ght. cuits. Because that will put the The Vagrants fear into their enemies. Maybe Perhaps, out of all the current travelling factions, this they’ll throw enchanted hob-nobs at them? Or a sugar cube? group of miscreants have been the most constant. Over time And, despite their alleged educated backgrounds, they don’t they don’t appear to have strayed, fallen, or wavered from have a single active member in the Academy. Perhaps they their path. And all this despite having unruly dwarves walk are not as clever as they thought! amongst them! They have become so fearful now that they’ve had to re- However, there is a big reason for this lack of change. And cruit some vagabonds to act as their bodyguards. These pow- that’s because when they arrived in Orin Rakatha they held lit- erful wizards now hide behind unruly wastrels waving pointy tle identity of their own. No-one knows, including them, what sticks. Oh how the mighty have fallen if the sword is now the Vagrants stand for or believe in. Apart from alcohol – in more powerful than the spell. that respect they vie with the Keepers in their consumption! Crimson Winter Perhaps one day they will fi nd a cause to motivate them; an Once the fi ery warriors of Blood and Snow, warriors of ideal to stand up for; a philosophy they can believe in. Until a strong and proud army, and ritualists of renown. Now then they’ll continue to be known as the lost boys (& girls) cowed into insignifi cance and inactivity as they watch the living in a world that appears to differ greatly to the reality realm continue around them. Previously they were expected that the rest of us live in! In Conclusion Some of the great factions have lost their way, and by doing that they are losing their identities. Our perceptions of these previously proud denizens are starting to change, and not for the better. Unless the people that lead these factions can stand up and focus them back to their ideals then they all risk becoming a large homogeneous blob, ripe for the picking by the denizens of the Void. by Artemus Black Diz Astar: Master resurrectionist! During troubled times fi ghting the Oppawang, monstrous beings cut a swathe through the ranks of the valiant defenders of the Festival, casting Death at all in their way. Many valiant warriors fell, and their bodies dragged back to the Tavern under cover of darkness and the storm. Within the protection of the Tavern, the Azad Dun created a temporary ritual circle, and Diz Astar of the Summer Stars took centre stage. Assisted by mem- bers of the Azad’an and other ritualists, groups of dead warriors were brought into the circle and Diz performed a series of mass resurrections. Warrior after warrior took to their feet, their fi rst memories of awakening being the haggard face of Diz as she threw her soul into repeatedly performing this diffi cult and draining ritual. We do now know how many were resurrected in this way. But many now owe their lives to Diz, who it is likely has now performed more resurrections than any other person residing in the Festival. Page 8 Misthaven Academy Journal, Fire Day, 5th Planting Moon, 4 AC The Faculty of Cultural Anthropology In what we hope to be the start of a new feature within the Academy Journal we will start to share the backgrounds of various notable people that travel with the factions. In this fi rst chapter we detail the life of Malcaius Davion of the Wizard’s Concillium Profi le for Malcaius Davion, he was able on a few leading up to the events of his occasions to establish joining the Wizards Concil- small rifts to other lium: worlds, but the rifts were never stable for Born to the family Davion and twin long and would dis- brother to Lysander, Malcaius was im- sipate quickly, buoyed bued with the essence of the spirit in by success no matter the year 2301NC and would become how small after year his twin brothers warden, also from the of research and failed same pregnancy were born the sisters attempts Lysander Alleria (magi) and Synovea (warden). would continue to at- All four children were deemed healthy tempt to open larger while doing this that he noticed the car- and pure and were loved greatly by their and more stable rifts. It was during one pet on the fl oor was out of place so he parents lord Marcus and lady Lilliana. such test that while one of Lysander’s knelt down to straighten it and instead On their 5th birthday they were sent rifts was open something came through found something he did not know ex- to the great schools to begin their train- and secretly hid itself within the young isted in this room. A door hatch was ing Lysander and Alleria to the school magi. carefully concealed within the fl oor boards, wary of why his brother would of the magi, Malcaius and Synovea to Over the next few months the pres- hide something like this from him Mal- the Warden academy were they all ex- ence inside Lysander grew and became caius opened the hatch and descended celled in their studies becoming great stronger, and began to whisper to Ly- into the unknown. mages and warriors in their own rights. sander promises of knowledge and At the age of 13 Malcaius and Synovea power that would help him establish a Beneath the fl oor of the research were sent to the Magi school to be- true and permanent rift and become a building Malcaius would fi nd horrors gin their training in the basic arts and hero to his people, and sadly Lysander he could not explain, but most horrifi c to start their vigil upon their siblings, listened believing that the voice was of all were the remains of other magi from this day forth they would always that of the spirit of magic and that he who had been reported missing for be close to their twins. had been chosen to do this task. some time. With anger and sadness in his heart he knew that his brother had Alleria became a healer of great re- Malcaius watched as his brother be- somehow fallen to darkness and must pute and spent her days researching came more and more drawn into his re- be put to death, storming from the new cures and ways to improve the lives search and began to ignore everything building he headed for home to con- of all the people of Valerion, her twin but the most basic needs in his pursuit front his brother and put an end to his though unable to cast healing magic’s of opening a stable rift, if he felt that madness but when he arrived Lysander became an accomplished alchemist and his brother had changed or become was not there. would spend her days helping her sister. strange to him he felt it was due to the Lysander however became obsessed stress Lysander was putting his mind Malcaius quickly left their home to with the great rift arch, the long dor- and body under. Eventually Malcaius search for his brother before he could mant remnant of a time when his peo- felt he had to intervene and confronted do more harm, when he got out into the ple were slaves to an ancient and evil his brother telling him to take a night street he was beset by a group of magi race and would devote all his time to off to rest for a few hours, after all no fl eeing from the city centre. When he trying to fi nd a way to re-establish one would steal his work and it was asked them what was going on he was a rift and travel to other worlds. not going anywhere. Lysander raged told that his brother was at the great Malcaius would watch his brother and fumed at his twin but seemed rift arch opening a rift to spirit knows carefully for fear that the obses- to eventually agree to take a few where and from the rift great daemons sion would lead to madness or hours sleep if it would put his were coming forth into Valerion. worse, but also respected his brother mind at ease. When he arrived at the city centre brothers goal to help achieve With his brother supposedly he found a scene of absolute chaos as one of his peoples old am- asleep Malcaius walked the magi and their wardens fought against bitions, to be able to travel ground of the small research the daemons that were coming through from Valerion and truly building reading a few of his the rift, and at the heart of all the vio- be free. brother notes lence was his brother arms held high Over time and cleaning feeding power into the great rift arch Lysander’s up some of and keeping the way open for the dae- experiments the over crowd- mons. Malcaius felt deep anger in his bore some fruit and ed work tops, it was heart at his brothers betrayal and bat- Misthaven Academy Journal, Fire Day, 5th Planting Moon, 4 AC Page 9 tled his way to his brother seeking to world began to collapse dragging all in secret be his agent in helping shape put an end to this madness and stop that were close to its maw towards the course of his peoples future. the daemons before they could do it. And so Malcaius was torn from And so Malcaius became an agent any more harm. his world and cast into the grey void of the man in the Purple hat and did When he finally made it to his of nothingness from which rifts are travel to the tower of the wizards brother he found Lysander weeping created, he floated there in pain and concillium to start his journey upon unable to control his own body and near darkness for what felt like an age the realm of Orin Rakatha. and believed that he was fated to die begging for death, for the presence In the years that have passed Mal- within this empty realm. But this was that had been inside him was now in caius has used all his intellect and not to be his fate as his life energies control of his body and was using it strength to guide the wizards concil- began to fade and his mind slipped to open the rift for the daemons. The lium forwards to a stronger future, into unconsciousness something anger seeped out of Malcaius as he when the mirror plane shattered and stirred within him reaching out into saw the fear and regret in his broth- the concillium was returned to the the nothingness it grasped blindly for ers eyes and he granted his brothers true Orin Rakatha he took steps to survival and then as if by fate.. only request... taking a tight grip on try and keep the people of the concil- his weapon he drove it deep into his The body of Malcaius Davion lium alive. Hamstrung at every turn brothers chest, so keen was the blade tumbled through a small rift into by the surviving leadership of the and forceful the blow that it punched the world of Orin Rakatha where it mirror plane concillium he decided to though chest to the other side killing would be found and nursed back to take a more direct hand in the con- Lysander instantly. health, in exchange Malcaius swore cillums affairs and seized power over With its vessel destroyed the pres- himself to his rescuers service but his night, now he leads as Administrator ence within Lysander could no longer rescuer had other ideas asking only of the Concillium and drives his peo- control the energies of the rift it had that Malcaius return with him to his ple forward towards a yet unrevealed created and the tunnel to another home and join the people there and goal. Please contact your local Academy representative if you wish to share your story with the Journal and see it published here. We are eager to continue this enlightening feature!

A Guide to Being Possessed, by Palin MacGregor My Other Half It is a whole other story how myself and Illowyn, the Daeva who possessed me collided soul and body. But in a way it was the best thing that ever happened to me. It’s hard to describe what your mind not being quite your own is like, but in a short and messy way, it feels like being in a long standing relationship where although you are comfortable with each other, you are always irritable with your other half and you plan their death in multiple horrific ways. The only issue is they see every graphic detail you imagined too. Now add in the fact you are followed round into every room, you can’t get away, and they know every little secret and detail about your life. On the bright side, you are never alone and brainstorming through ideal so- lutions to problems sort of becomes non-negotiable. Twenty questions is always an option, you get a second opinion on life decisions and eating alone at inns laughing occasional at jokes no one else can hear is highly amusing. Plus spelling is easier. Alone Time Alone time is also tricky. As an introvert, it can be quite disconcerting to re- treat into your innermost bastion of safety just to find another person sitting on the armchair of your imagination in his underwear. I mean, it’s not that I don’t like my brain roomie… it’s just that’s my armchair, and those are my pants. My comfy pants. My safe pants. Sure I could imagine another armchair or twin pairs of alpaca wool briefs, but that’s not the point. We have had to come to the agreement that he has to go tend to the imaginary garden, which although technically is directly superimposed on top of where I am sat in reality… if I think hard enough, I almost have some privacy. Being in Love As it is clear, we are in love. Romantic, wonderful love. It gets tricky whether we class our intimacy as physical or mental, due to sharing every body part we own, but we make a damn good go of it. Although we are happy with each other, there has always been room for more in our life so we decided to be polyamorous. Jealousy can be hard though at times, especially when you aren’t quite sure which one of you is feeling it. Emotions tend to get blurry and it can also be difficult for prospec- tive partners to get to grips dating someone who has reached maximum level multiple personality disorder. We both look for different things in a partner. I prefer the dark edginess of someone not afraid to kill and Illowyn being all angelic and such prefers those who have that sort of glow a pure of heart person produces when they smile. So we settled on a half dark elf, half light elf. The good news is he’s immortal (ish) so Illowyn is happy, good with a bow, handsome as elves go and enjoys my experimental bedroom cantrips. Most importantly he also cracks out a lovely smile as he releases his bow to slaughter his foes. Charmingly sadistic. Perfectly twisted. So if you see us, come say hi. Page 10 Misthaven Academy Journal, Fire Day, 5th Planting Moon, 4 AC IN AND AROUND THE ACADEMY FACULTIES... and conditions. Be nice to oth- The Academy Basics er Academy people, agree that What it is in an easy to un- submitting any work can be derstand way, so comprehensi- put in the journal or be refer- ble even a goblin could under- enced, no maiming or killing stand (if read out to them) of other Academy members It’s a place to go and do re- around the Academy building search, ask questions, get giv- (do it far away and in secret en the occasional task if you but most importantly for non ask “so what can I do I’m bored” Academy reasons) Also don’t or “can I help” and then get told use the Academy to research how to find stuff out. For points ways to kill a whole faction or to go up in rank give them in- the whole of Orin Rakatha or formation and fetch stuff, it’s all of the caterpillars in exist- that simple. Also, the bigger the ence they are fluffy and I like him up, poop on him and run rank the better information or them. away crying cus it smelt bad stuff you can get from them. There are six ranks, go join to begin with. “OMG its just for elves and and find out what they are and Also the Academy now has wizards, nerds and weird peo- what shinies you can get by mentors, this is useful for new- ple who don’t fight” achieving them. bies finding their feet, short Shut your silly pie hole, are Its possible to be expelled, people who cant reach the impor- you seeking a greater ritual don’t do it, don’t get expelled, tant books on the top shelf and that will work or a magical ob- they know all the worst things confused trolls who don’t know ject to defeat a foe or toe fun- that exist, its worse than hav- there limestone from quartz gus? Are you wondering how ing to smell a dead goblins yet. to bewitch that dashing goblin balls after its been eaten by the I hope this guide has helped with the spoons into your arms Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of from the loving Hitch Hiker that or do you just want to turn Traal who then decided to sick all that random loot you have writes Guides for Orin Rakatha amassed over the years into a item of immense worth? Then Notable Field Members of the Academy go join the frikking Academy Currently leading the pack in terms of effort and involvement and they will help you research is Palin MacGregor, from the Vagrants of Dionaite, who has and find answers to all of these become the fi rst Alumni of the travelling factions. things. So in a little more detail, to gain points towards rank write Closely following on from him are six Senior Fellows, each of stuff for either the Academy or which are starting to excel in their own specialised areas. These are: the Academy journal, complete • Tiberius Rak, Cold Dawn tasks and fetch them stuff • Shaman Kori, Halls of Asgard (stuff they want not twigs, lint or that random human • Belfreid Bellami, Vagrants of Dionaite you found that’s randomly • Kay Drakken, Crimson Winter in chains as its apparently a • Captain Scales, The Keepers bit inappropriate) or win com- petitions. Do a public demon- • Khobert, Vagrants of Dionaite (missing) stration of the work you have done, like how to craft potions, Of the Fellows there are a number who deserve special mentions this is how you use this type of for their contributions. thing and 10 ways to gut an Asgardian with just a spoon or • Guthix Wolfsbane, Halls of Asgard something along those lines. • Nyx, Wee Scunners Don’t attempt demos that could • Yewfoot, The Yldari maim or kill with living sub- jects though as again some- • Poppy Kattur, The Keepers thing about inappropriateness • Kalina, Summer Stars and grumble grumble grum- • Chakax, Summer Stars bles. • Diz Astar, Summer Stars There are also some terms Misthaven Academy Journal, Fire Day, 5th Planting Moon, 4 AC Page 11 in the Academy but just trade with the Academy vaults for Adepts? research purposes. Academy members, of Senior rank or higher, have the What are they then? option to apply to an Adept to be taken on as a research The Academy recently went through some internal chang- assistant, also known as an applying for an “Internship”. Ap- es and one of those changes was to allow certain individuals plications are processed by the Adepts themselves and they to ‘employ’ scholars of the Academy for there own research are free to accept or reject as they see fi t and the Academy needs. will not intervene with this process. There are a number of limitations on these individuals: Scholars may only have a single active Internship at a time. • All research gained must be shared with the Academy However, they are free to leave an Adept at any time and • All individuals must be approved by the Academy apply to a new one. Note that leaving an Adept may cause some agitation between the Intern and the Adept if not han- • Scholars may not be forced to undertake any specifi c re- dled amicably. Also note that an Adept is free to terminate search task an Internship at any time if they feel that the Intern is not • Only scholars of “Senior” rank, or higher, may be em- performing adequately. ployed in this way Conversely, Adepts are free to take on as many scholars as There are no limitations with regards to the nature or type they wish. This may cause some confl ict as multiple Interns of the research being undertaken. may then be vying to achieve the same goals which may only be achievable by a single scholar. Note: The Academy does not vet any of the research tasks listed by the Adepts, nor does it question the research being undertaken. As such, scholars are advised to be wary of any given task and the Academy takes no responsibility or liabil- ity for any actions undertaken by Interns, however, it does remind members that the Academy rules apply to them at all times! Interns are ‘paid’ primarily by the Academy with Personal Credits, however, on occasion, an Adept may choose to pro- vide additional payment for services rendered. There is no limit on the number of credits than can be earned in this way however Adepts may not always have tasks readily available. Applications for Internships should be addressed to the Adept in question and sent via the Academy mail system. Applications to become a registered Adept should be di- Individuals that are authorised by the Academy in this way rected to one of the Academy Deans. will be known as “Adepts” and a list of these people will be Here is a list of the current authorised adepts: publicly available to Academy members. It is likely that the fi elds of study will differ greatly between Adepts and schol- Malacoda, Istan, Brother Lazarus, Jonah ars are encouraged to seek out an Adept that matches their Jones, Malyk, Artemus Black, Balnir Stout- own interests. mantle, Crow, Quinn, Ampersan, Vestitor, Note that whilst many of these Adepts may be existing Owl, Chennaya, Usbeorn, Gwydion, Willow, Academy members, or even staff, it is not restricted to them. There are a growing number of Adepts that do not work Aredhel, Bob

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS MAN? This depraved and desperate man is wanted in ques- tioning for a string of crimes in and around the lands of the Festival. Members of the public are asked to be on their guard and not to approach him. In- stead, all sightings of this dan- gerous felon should be reported to local law enforcement so that he can be dealt with swiftly and with minimal collateral damage. Your assistance in this will be greatly appreciated. Page 12 Misthaven Academy Journal, Fire Day, 5th Planting Moon, 4 AC The Faculty of Physical Excellence subject imaginable, and I can only Clean of body, mind and soul. urge the men under my charge to There should be no warrior when far mightier brews are availa- take advantage of any chance to with any doubt to the importance ble? Combat raises a mighty thirst, learn. Read the examples of great of caring for their body. In bat- and ale will quench this well. As for captains and leaders from many tle, physical strength, speed and alcohol moments before the battle lands, listen to the songs sung of dexterity can be the difference be- – while some to raise the courage hero’s of old, discover how they tween life and death. For a Warrior of a warrior is acceptable, it must vanquished unimaginable horrors. Priest such as I, this is one of many be held in check. If you drink so These tales may very save our life. valuable lessons that can be passed much you cannot see straight you An unpopular topic on Orin on to the younger generations. are no good to me. I Rakatha at times, but the soul needs Have a care to what enters have seen the berserk to be nourished as well as the body. your body. This is the build- warrior, fl ushed with Anyone can fi ght, but you must ing blocks of your exist- drink and screaming have something to fi ght for, some- ence, and only the fi nest incoherently. Will thing to believe in. Mercenaries of vittles should be good they have their that fi ght for plunder are often the enough. Look to the place in a battle fi rst to break, as they know there animal kingdom for in- line, it is wiser is always more available. But the spiration. Would you heads that will warrior that fi ght for his home, his be the hunter, or the win you a battle. god, his lord? These warriors fi ght prey? If you wish to Not all war- that bit harder, that bit longer. fall in battle, then riors can be We must fi ll those under our live off grass and academically protection with inspiring words, fl owers. If you minded, but give them symbols to look up to wish to conquer, to ignore the and revere. Wether that be God fall heartily upon chance to ex- or inspiring leader, give a warrior the best cuts of ercise your something to follow, something to meat. The night mind as well believe in to the core of his soul. before battle a as your body warrior should feast well, taking is a mistake that many have made, Combining all these together will his fi ll, as battle soon tires a body. and most are now nothing more give you the best chance to achieve Your Lord will provide you with a than bleached bones and rotting your peak physical fi tness before banquet, and his warriors should corpses laying on an unnamed a battle and in turn the highest fall upon this with relish. If this fi eld, long forgotten. chance of survival. Heed my words young warriors and leaders alike, should be your last meal, feast like At the very least a basic under- a king! this may one day save your life, or standing of tactics can only aid a those of your troops. Some swear by water, but I swear fi ghting unit. Our very own acad- at it! Why drink such tasteless fare, emy is fi lled with scrolls on every by Tiberius Rak, Warrior Priest of the Cold Dawn The Faculty of Opposed Engagement A Collection of Tips for the Battle Mages of Orin Rakatha A Manuscript on the Void and its Inhabitants, by Palin MacGregor Introduction share our knowledge on how best to insert ourselves into The void (as far as we know [1]) it is a nefarious realm; the bowels of our foe to cause maximum devastation. Here we suffered many losses from its touch on our plane. The I will detail the successful tactics employed by the Forgotten greyish land devoid of familiar entities is an alien intruder and Vagrant (Fragrant) alliance into the void and speculation on our very will to exist (at least for those of us not in the on what may work in the future. overwhelmingly apathetic Shadowsfall, who lack such a will The Void entirely). The creatures took down many nodes, destroying We do not know much about fi ghting in the void, except our ability to use magic, most notably perhaps the nodes of that it is anathema to magic. Spells cannot be cast in this nature and life, removing our ability to heal wounds with repugnant realm. The full ramifi cations of this are not clear. magic, restore our bodies from mortal wounds and most sig- Why spells do not work is uncertain. However magical ef- nifi cantly return the recently deceased to their bodies. With fects cast outside the void remain benefi cial within. This is the loss of these abilities, mages fi nd themselves in a much confi rmed to be true of fi re magic and grey magic. Get your weakened state. If we are to contribute to the battle against scrolls while they are hot! the void, we have to know our enemy and fi nd ways round our now limited talents. If we are to move forward into the Lesser Void Creatures future prepared, then there is a need for us to gather and These ashen looking pests are not as fearsome as they look, although their touch on life is notable; in the sense there Misthaven Academy Journal, Fire Day, 5th Planting Moon, 4 AC Page 13 tends to be none left afterwards. Be brave however in the face of these nihilist neonates as they may be taken down by many means. They can be cut, blasted, crushed, tickled and swaffl ed [2] to death. Put quite simply, keep hitting them until you feel a cathartic sense of relief [3]. The one tip we have is to be vigilant in checking their bodies for essence of the void known as ‘void crystals’. These seem to contain some form of power over the ability of the void to destroy us, have high recrea- tional value and may just be the key to our continued survival [4]. Void Elementals As with other elemental creatures, magic is the only way to damage them. This becomes problematic when magic may not be used in concentrated areas of the void, or if you just have a hammer and a vague idea of the concept of numeracy. By pre-enchanting your weaponry with magic, or perhaps making a slaying weapon for these nobly faced nuisances however you gain a means to dispatch them that is fool proof for even the most meat headed of warriors [5]. Juicy amounts of void crystals tend to be found on their bodies, making the effort well worth it (given you live). Greater Void Creatures We know very little about this foe, but we believe them to be fi rm atheists. This of course is disgusting and explains their general lack of morals (and manners) [6]. They are powerful however. I believe a meeting or two may be needed to clarify our tactics. References 1. Post-Op, Tim Mist, You never know… behind that pile of decaying bodies there could be puppies! 2. Appo Priate, Please don’t put that part of your body on there, the sound is unbearable. 3. Self-Help Series, Fighting Anxiety: Sometimes all you need is to know to function socially is how it feels to desecrate a corpse. 4. Narc Oz, Rectal fi shing, urethral snorting and more: The ten best ways to heavily abuse void crystals. 5. Stovin Fry, Valhalla: The only afterlife with an IQ score below 10. 6. Marthya Stewhurt, Learn to use a fork you heathen scum.

Why Must we Fight? Peoples of the land, I ask for but a er. Yet we  nd ourselves all too o en the Dionate. moment of your time for you to re- bathed in blood. In the name of a greater happiness I ect.  ink about the Masters of Orin It is Owl who appeared to us in re- ask you all to question the words of the Rakatha those chosen as your guides cent times to ask we show her our ap- Master you have allegiance too, per- and whom you pledge allegiance. We preciation of the merits of life and all haps not all of them have your greatest may assume their motives align with its beauty. We not only want to cele- interests at heart. Maybe sometimes our own, that they are here to help us. brate in its glow ourselves, but to invite there is a wiser course of action. Be- But it seems to me that some of them you all to do so with us. A pint of ale is ing brave and truehearted does not o en ask us to  ght, to kill in their worth a hundred times a pint of blood, mean throwing yourself into the fray, names. I am not saying I blame them, and our ale ows freely to all visitors of but  nding a way to do what is right, or that this course of action is always no matter if you fear the path you must wrong, but I have questioned myself tread or the stones seem unfamiliar. why we must o en turn to this ex-  ose that wish to stand with us, treme. Are the lives of us; their mortal and with the holy Owl, seek us out. subjects; not worth to them as much We bathe in the light and act with in- as we value them Are some perhaps tegrity. We do not fear the night, we y entertained by our wounds and woes through it with ease. We will navigate Myself and the Vagrants strive for a the shadows and thrive, waiting for the world of peace and prosperity, of di- dawn, where we will rest in the light. verse beings living in harmony togeth- by Palin MacGregor Page 14 Misthaven Academy Journal, Fire Day, 5th Planting Moon, 4 AC The Faculty of Mystical Arts Thinking Outside of the Scroll: Black Magic A Collection of Novel uses of Incantations by Famous Mages of Orin Rakatha, by Palin MacGregor Introduction what had happened to two girls in Black magic is drawn from the ever mysterious and of- his university dorms one evening. ten seductive element of darkness and those of its order It had taken a plumber, two sur- specialise in spells that disable and disorient their ene- geons and a Nando’s employee mies. Black magic is not to be confused with death magic, to save the girl’s lives and hide or evil magic. Black magic is only as evil as its users, who the evidence, but now they were tend to be found wearing black leather, rubber and lace. doing well and never had noto- Crying often. Also these casters are commonly unper- riety come so easily. Brodie was a turbed by homosexual activity although not really into it bit of a loser truth be told, and he themselves, demand to be referred to as a coven and like needed that cup if he was ever going the idea of non-lethal external blood displays, but overall to be anybody. One thing he had mastered, was weaving are composed mainly of fairly nice people… if not a little his blackest thoughts into a cantrip of blinding nothing- disturbed. Upon suffi cient mastery of the black arts, users ness. With no grace what-so-ever he burst form the shad- are often able to blind their enemies or destroy them with ows and blinded both the guards before they could know powerful strikes of pure darkness itself. who he was. In the confusion he plummeted with majesty between the guards onto the ground and log rolled for I have searched many a mouldy ledger of black tomes his life grabbing the cup, ignoring the lingering smell and (often with melancholy lists of bard songs and tears dried dashing back out the door in under thirty seconds. Victo- into the pages) for some insight into how the most ad- rious. Sadly he died of septic shock a few days later, but a vanced minds in the valiant effort granted. Sleep eternal, dark prince [2]. black mages found use of their talents. Latisha’s Legendary Lavatory I was actually im- It’s not often a hungry werewolf attacks your home pressed by these when you are trying to sort of the aftermath of making scholars, for all their messy. But when it does happen, it helps to be a wielder emotional turmoil, of the dark arts. The moment where you need to weight some of the most up whether you call for help and risk exposing yourself intelligently written or decide to tackle the furry feeder alone can be a daunt- books to found in ing one, and only something you can yourself decide [3]. mage history seem to Latisha had eaten a large amount of viscous spiced good be nibbed down by the night before though and combined with her IBS and our misunderstood a derriere her relatives described affectionately as a snap misfi ts of magelore. jaw turtle with attitude, the decision was clear. Elf soci- These accounts high- ety had rules of conduct after all. Calming herself after light more the inge- the storm, Latisha managed to mumble a spell in a timely nuity of the black fashion as the werewolf approached, just within eyesight mage than conven- at the top of her stairs. Blinded the werewolf had only its tional moments of sense of smell to go from. Luckily the dominant odour greatness, but are a warning of why you should never from Latisha had wafted uniformly onto the landing and cross a black mage lightly. throughout most of the top fl oor of her dwelling. It had Brodie’s Thirty Seconds of Fame never been her style to shut the door, and today it might just have saved her life. She tip toed round the snarling ‘Two guards, one cup. A feeling of amused nostalgia. beast, watching it search in vain clawing at the walls and A small drip of guilt for feeling amused by that particu- her furniture. Twenty or so seconds later the moment she lar nostalgia. Questions: Why does that memory make me had been waiting for came as the hulking wolf took a mo- smile? Am I ill? Should I get help? It would be too much ment to wretch now the toxin’s had saturated in its lungs. to kill them. Not because of the slightly sick amusement, Over the noise she mumbled a fast incantation and fi red but more because of boring stuff… like they probably a bolt of pure darkness from herself, forcing the wolf had wives, or husbands… maybe they were even hus- out of the window onto the picket fence outside. A wipe bands… that would be hot if the uniforms were tighter of her brow and a few more for good measure below the and a little more revealing’ Brodie thought [1]. ‘Probably waist and Latisha had gotten through the second most a few ugly children that hated them… rent to pay and new traumatic defecation of her life [4]. clothes to buy judging by the state of them now he was a bit closer. No… death was a bit harsh. Even if one of References them was humming a song from the current conventional 1. My Chemical Bromance, It’s not Okay… top forty bard tales.’ Apparently using just the cup and 2. B.J. Armstrong, Boulevard of Broken Dreams your own bodily functions in a ritual of the blackest magic 3. Brendan Gorey, Panic! At the Bistro you could cast a spell of eternal infamy. At least that’s 4. Ivan Essence, Capsicum Misthaven Academy Journal, Fire Day, 5th Planting Moon, 4 AC Page 15 Thaumic Disharmony - Malcaius Davion My fellow researchers and persons of learning after considerable personal research I Malcaius Davion Administrator of the Wizards Concillium would like to present to you my observations on a condition I have named Thaumic Disharmony or for the less educated amongst us Mana Sickness. First I will provide a brief overview of what a Thaum is to add a point of reference to those who may not study the “magical” arts but read this document in relation to medical or anthropological research. While some may have a different word for it a Thaum is the basic unit of measurement for magic, Thaums when further broken down are made of resons, and resons are made up of at least 5 flavours (including up, down, sideways, sex appeal and peppermint; research continues on this matter) One Thaum is defined to be the amount of magic which is needed to create a white pigeon (of moderate size) or three billiard balls. Thaumic Disharmony is a condition that only affects the thaumically (magically) inclined and only those who have had access to large amounts of thaumic (magical) energy over a prolonged period of time. Examples of such creatures or individuals would include certain races of elves, celestial be- ings, mana worms, and persons or creatures born of worlds with unnaturally high thaumic levels in its ecosystem. The onset of this condition is caused when the supply of thaumic energy is cut off or dramatically weakened for a prolonged period of time (this can be forcibly or by accident the eventual result is the same), the afflicted individual will become both physically and thaumically weakened and poten- tially if the reduction in energy persists for a long time the individuals mental strength will begin to be compromised. Noticeable symptoms of an individual suffering from Thaumic Disharmony include uncontrollable muscular tremors in the hands, lapses in cognitive function, and the onset of an insatiable hunger that the afflicted can not sate by any normal means. This hunger seem similar to that which afflicts those who have had the unfortunate circumstance of attracted vampirism but with a predisposition to feed on thaumic energy similar to that of the terrifying mana wraith. After careful study and testing I have summarised that the effects of this condition can be held at bay for a short period of time by a process of transference and absorption of thaumic energies from objects or other living creatures that are rich in such energies. So far I have made use of several nonsensical magical items to hold of my test subjects hunger including a self teleporting fart cushion, a ring designed to alleviate an itchy rear when in public and other equally useless items created by the concilliums more lazy and mentally questionable researchers. After the subject absorbs all Thaumic energy within the items it become nothing more than scrap, and takes on a greyish colouration I further theorise that the condition could potentially be reversed if an energy source of equal or greater power was acquired to that of the original sources that was lost/removed but at this time, However I can not confirm this theory as I have not been able to acquire a source of thaumic energy equal to that lost by my test subject. It is also become apparent to me that at the current rate of deterioration and the increased scarcity of items I can use to stave off my test subjects symptoms, I will not be to able to attain a suf- ficiently powerful source of energy in time to test this theory before my subject expires. In conclusion I believe that this condition will prove ultimately fatal for the afflicted individual if they do not feed on thaumic energy or find a sufficient replacement for the lost thaumic energy source before within a year of losing the initial connection to their source of thaumic energy. The only reason my test subject has been able to endure for such a long period of time is due to the my continuing efforts to find and provide items of thaumic power for the subject to drain to alleviate the symptoms of its condition. Further more it also goes without saying that such an individual could become a danger to those around them who are either thaumically in- clined themselves or possess artefacts that are strong in thaumic energy as time progress’s for the afflicted without any intervention to alleviate their condition. Page 16 Misthaven Academy Journal, Fire Day, 5th Planting Moon, 4 AC The Faculty of Ritualistic Endeavours Ritual Notes Rituals can be performed in many different ways. However, selecting the appropriate way for the ritual that needs to be performed can be the difference between success and failure, and also help to avoid catastrophic failures and even ritualist deaths! Many ritualists are aware of the common ritual types: magical, religious, and power/nature based, which are often chosen based upon the assumed source of the ritualists power. This, however, is not the right way to go about it. Instead of choosing the ritual type based upon their power source a ritualist should be making their decisions based upon the outcome they wish to achieve. For example, if their power source was a deity, or mystic, and you were trying to create a magical item, they should be choosing a magical based ritual, not a religious one. The ritualists power source will always be there, assuming that they have treated that source with respect and not unbalanced it be taking too much without giving back, so the focus of the ritual should be on the desired outcome. This fundamental decision can have an enormous affect on the outcome. Once more ritual experience has been gained though the more astute ritualist will realise that there are far more choices than the three listed above, and if they want to achieve greater results then it is extremely important to be more specific. Take magical rituals, for example. This category breaks down into more detailed ones like elemental magic. And even that can be broken down again into even more details like earth, air, fire and water. Or perhaps a ritualist should be focussing more on which school of magic that the result would belong to. Or maybe deciding between benevolence and malevolence. Then there is the potential alignment of the outcome. This should also create a basis of the ritual being performed. As should the goal of the ritual: Is it an item? What kind of item? Is it an ability or power? Knowledge? Understanding? Subversion? Blessing? Reverence? So many facets that should be considered, each adding power to a ritual if correctly aligned. All these things, if taken into consideration, can have a great deal of affect if applied to all aspects of the ritual. This means looking at the items being sacrificed to power the ritual, the ritualists involved in the MISSING ritual, how the circle is cleansed, the paraphernalia High Queen Ellisandre of the Roy- used in the ritual, as well as the content/subject al Court of Vedovia asks all loyal of the ritual itself. subjects abroad in the lands of Orin One of the more advanced skills a ritualist Rakatha to be on the lookout for can have though is the ability to take all these her daughter, Cigfran Sa Beanna, considerations and work out exactly how the and to report to any of her known desired ritual result fits within them. Quite often Agents her whereabouts if discov- the goal does not have any obviously clear aspects ered. It should be noted that under in which to focus the ritual on, which can in turn no circumstances should Countess create the need for knowledge rituals to find this Sa Diablo be approached. out before the main ritual is attempted. Suitable reward shall be available It is these kind of decisions and considerations for those loyal enough to step for- that separate the standard ritualists from the ward in this matter. really successful ones. by Balnir Stourmantle Misthaven Academy Journal, Fire Day, 5th Planting Moon, 4 AC Page 17 The Faculty of Daeva and Daemon A Demon Study by Tiberius Rak, transcribed by Lady Carys Patrova The Daemon, or Demon, is one of should let something like this happen. leaderless band of refugees. Being of the greatest threats to all living crea- Although we fought valiantly, in the the highest rank left, I took command tures. A cruel and evil creature, the dae- end the hordes could not be stopped. of the men, and we set off to fi nd the mon appears to want nothing less than While the lesser daemon can be fought people we have sent through before us. dominion over all things, if not the out- and overcome by an exceptional knight, Something had gone wrong with the right destruction of all life. We of the or group of warriors, it takes far great- portal though. The others were no- Cold Dawn know this better than most, er power to defeat a greater daemon. where to be seen. It was almost as if as our home, Veridia was ravaged and Preparation, powerful relics, mighty taken from us by daemonic hordes. Ve- workers of magics and faith combined ridia is a realm on the world of Hayat can achieve such things, but we were Ghallaya, and few of our people es- defeated from within. caped the horror our land became. No The unit i was attached with was one knows for certain how it began, or tasked to hold a small fort, from which the fate of our home now, but perhaps we could open portal, to allow us to we can sift the facts from hysteria, and evacuate as many people as possible to by speaking to the few survivors, gain escape the slaughter. When the assault some important knowledge, to safe- came, the ground shook like thunder, guard future worlds. with thousands of daemons charging across the land. The portal was hurridly opened, too huridly as it turned out.... Though we were a bare hundred warriors and priests, we vowed to sell our lives dearly. For the fi rst hour we the portal has shifted or moved, and we did, the Deamons broke against our had somehow been scattered through- thick walls. This did not stop them for out the realms. We didnt let this stop long, as they employed powerful mag- us however, we set off to reunite our ics to blast a hole in the side for them people. In the beginning, all was well, to pass through. The ordered was giv- but as hours turned to days and days to en for our brave Knights to form up weeks, my men lost hope and men lost and hold them as long as they could, their lives. We battled through strange while we tried to shepard more people lands and faced strange enemies and through the portal. Again and again our numbers dwindled, until i was the Deamons broke against our shield alone in a strange land. It is my belief that the Daemons wall, but for every minute that passed, found a foothold on our world through more Viridian blood was spilt. Then I confess i had a crisis of faith, railing possession. Some wizards, through ig- it happened. A greater daemon waded at our Gods, cursing them for the fate norance or some dark desire for power, into our ranks, splitting the wall asun- that had befallen our people. I thought attempt to summon daemons from der. We fell back as orderly as possibly, my time was at an end, but i was fortu- their dark realm. This creates an open- but in the end barely ten warriors and nate, the fi rst piece i had had in many ing that they can exploit, and should I made it through the portal before we a month. I was taken in by a small kind the wizards control slip for just a mo- collapsed it behind us. communtiy, and made to feel welcome. ment, the monster can take control. It Of course, this didnt last, i had not This was how I ended up on Orin is not only wizards that bear this risk seen the last of tragedy, but that is an- Rakatha, as a member of a war torn, though, as anyone dabbling in powers other tale.... they should not, or just those close by, could be taken, as I have personally Hate your handwriting? Suffer from fat fin- seen. The only answer then is to cast gers? Grammar make you grimace? Do you the Daemon out, or destroy the vessel, sending the spirit back to its home di- need something written down? mension. All forms of letters**, Wills, docu- Once the daemon was in control and ments, and certificates undertaken at safe, it worked a great ritual, and a por- reasonable prices by an experienced, tal was opened to the Deamons realm, from which emerged the hordes of hell, Academy trained, Scribe. Leave word fl ooding our home in an orgy of blood with the Misthaven Academy Field and fi re. It is to my everlasting horror Centre and we’ll get back to you! and despair that the Knights, for centu- **Love letters written and composed at double the normal rate. ries the chosen protectors of our land, Page 18 Misthaven Academy Journal, Fire Day, 5th Planting Moon, 4 AC The Faculty of Minstrels and Mummers THE BALLAD OF SOREN WOLFSBANE by Guthix Wolfsbane, his son A wolf once walked in human skin Far o’er the North he led his force Who lived as ruler of his kin. Of sword and axe and armoured horse. In age of peace he hatched a war, The armies ploughed across the isles For time to sing forevermore. Where bodies lay in flaming piles. The wolf king sought the Dragon lands When all seemed lost there rose one man; And risked the rising of the clans, Young Soren faced his broken clan. For in his heart there grew a fear Within him courage born anew, That the shores of Fenris lay too near. The words he spoke aloud were few: “Behold our sacred ancient lands; Our fathers rest beneath its sands. So long as I still draw one breath I shall defend these lands ‘til death.” The shattered warriors took heed Of one man’s pure, defiant creed And in that fleeting moment found The bravery to turn around. So Soren led that mighty charge; Two forces clashed: one small, one large. And somehow, by the will of Gods The Dragons rose against all odds. The battle’s bloody end in sight, No wolves would howl that glorious night. And there amongst the countless dead Stood Soren with the Wolf king’s head. He sought not power, wealth, nor fame, His only honour was his name. So tells the tale of one great man: The Wolfsbane of the Dragon clan. Burden The whispers of an ancient soul. Seep through the cracks of our tormented will. A sickness born from a home so distant, a hunger becoming more persistent. The mantel of responsibility weighs heavily, but it is one taken on readily. And a price is paid each passing day, on that becomes ever harder to pay. A choice must be made a path he must take, to die a hero or slowly fade. Scion But which to take he does not know, and ever louder the whispers grow. Chained in darkness, lost from sight lord of peril, sire of might a demon rests with angel fair Solitaire the fruits of passion soon to bare Walk along the paths of old, far from ancient city’s hold a child born, a soul tormented journey into darkest night, were shadows of old sing their plight a lovers heart soon lamented deep within the forest gloom, hidden from the light of silvery moon your hidden destiny soon unfolds there you shall fi nd me as before, resting here ever more. the sleepers eyes do unfold deep within your lonely heart Poems from the heart of a mage you see the end, you know your path... Misthaven Academy Journal, Fire Day, 5th Planting Moon, 4 AC Page 19 The Faculty of Enigmatic Linguistics An Introduction to Elder Futhark Having spent a fair time residing in Orin Rikatha, of the more intriguing mysteries of its peoples I have encountered is the old runic forms of the people of the Halls of Asgard. From their northern homelands they bring with them a rich culture. But of most interest to me is the ancient language bestowed upon them by their gods, the runes of Elder Futhark. Origin of the Runes. In this ancient culture, the cosmos is thought to be composed of 9 worlds, all linked by the branches of the world-tree Yggdrasil. At the base of the world-tree is Mímir’s well, the well of knowledge. It is told that Odin, the chief god of this northern culture, made a sacrifi ce of an eye to Mímir in order to drink of the well in his quest for wisdom. Having drunk from the well, Odin perceived the runes at the bottom of the well. In order to discover the runes Odin wounded himself with a spear and hung himself upside down from a branch of Yggdrasil while groping in the waters of the well, known as the ritual of threefold death. Having continued the ritual for nine days and nights, Odin grasped the runes and pulled them from the well, gifting the knowledge of them to the world of men. The Runes The mysteries and meanings of the runes are great, and thus this introduction will merely introduce their phonetic values as a written language. The runes are ordered in to three families; Frey’s ætt, Hagal’s ætt and Týr’s ætt respectively.

by Lucivar Yaslana CAPTION COMPETITION Simply come up with a witty and/or clever caption to go with the image, displayed to the left, for your chance to win! All submissions should be made, in writing, to Willow of the Acad- emy. The winning caption will be de- cided by our panel of esteemed judges. Page 20 Misthaven Academy Journal, Fire Day, 5th Planting Moon, 4 AC READERS LETTERS, PERSONALS, AND FEEDBACK I’m fading from this plain, I can feel the life node shattering, I wanted to say from the bottom of my very existence that I’m only just hanging on because of the effort the vagrants made to keep me alive, that the last of my life magic was spent on the life of an Ent child that was brought into existence because of the Vagrants. You are true worshippers of life and I cannot leave this place without letting you know how loved you made me feel and how the impact you have had on this plain is truly unique and immense. Thank you, dearest Vagrants, maybe one day, somehow I can repay you for your kindness and determination. - Owl

Ask Sister Ann Sister Ann takes questions from all and will do her best to give you advice on your troubles, if you wish to ask Sister Ann for advice, please speak to any member of The Forgotten and they will put you in contact with her. Dear Sister Ann, I’m having a bit of trouble with some unrequited love. I am a god amongst men and I often parade about in tight leather so am used to quite a lot of female attention, however recently a young orc has fallen for me and now believes I’m his wife. He isn’t taking no for an answer, what can I do? – R Ohh young love dear, it’s a beautiful thing. Have you considered that you might actually have feelings for this orc, but are too afraid to admit it? Marriage is a sacred thing hun and if you can fi nd someone willing to spend the rest of their life with you, you should at least try to see if it could work. Even if this orc is slightly confused as to your gender. At the very least you could present them with a token of your leathery goodness. – Sister Ann Dear Sister Ann, my sister has forbidden me from seeing my nephew after I attended his birthday party and made all the children cry. I understand the black robes, face mask and skull cane could be quite intimidating for them but I saw far worse things when I was their age. How can I get my sister to accept this is who I am and it’s not just a phase? – T R Well dear I would never tell you to try and change who you are, however if you are seri- ous about wanting to see your nephew I might suggest toning the image down a bit whilst visiting. Perhaps swap the skull cane out for a less…interesting design, maybe add some delightful facepaint just for special occasions. Switch the black robes for some more colour- ful ones, there is a sale on at PrimeOrc. Would you consider wearing a fez? – Sister Ann ‘ello Sister Ann. I have troubles knowing who I is you know? I spent all my life acting like other creatures and things and now I no know who I am. I likes to spend time hiding in my chest and dancing like a bird in front of Crow but I need to know who me is. So how I do that? – M Well deary maybe that’s exactly who you are, the impersonator. There’s nothing wrong with a bit of dancing even if the lady Crow wasn’t too impressed with it, you know she has a temper sweetie. As for spending all that time in your box, well I too spend a lot of time in a box, it’s more of a booth than a box, but you’re more than welcome to come discuss all that murdering and looting you’ve been getting up to anytime. – Sister Ann

To my dearest crow, I got to see so The Void has taken another fi ne Crimson Warrior. Our ranger much of you in September. I’m so happy Rocinante gave his life (in this world) when he entered the Void you were the one that stayed safe and in the Ritual Circle doing what all rangers do… reconnaissance. didn’t disappear, into that nothingness Always up front to see what dangers were coming, or positioned like your oddly shaped sister. I made on the fl ank taking a terrible toll with his bow. friends with your vampire friend, who Warriors of Crimson Winter salute Rocinante and remembers said I didn’t have to marry him, what him well for his bow skills. He shared his bow craft, training new- a lovely influential friend to have, but comers to Orin Rakatha regardless of their faction, race or creed, how can I be surprised when you are and was even known to correct his enemy’s posture - a true perfec- already besotted with him yourself and tionist – before defeating them in a bow duel. the date you had with him was positive- Up close he was fond of the surprise attack, as more than a few ly filled deadly delight. Parting is such of the Horde have discovered… for a short time, anyway! sweet sorrow dearest crow and I can not wait to behold you once more in the Others will remember him for his hunting and distilling skills. new year. Chasing dragons for their blood to brew a warming, spiriting draft, and ranging far to fi nd Orin Rakatha’s fi nest snow to melt into an Forever yours, your loving servant, equally refreshing.. er... Alcoholic beverage. Nyx A toast to Rocinante – Blood and Snow! Misthaven Academy Journal, Fire Day, 5th Planting Moon, 4 AC Page 21 An Ode to Noodles circle was sundered. Such power I have So much has happened… I’m not sure not witnessed in many moons, and nev- I even know where to begin. However, er put to such an evil purpose. To sun- in my bones I know two things from our der the circle means that some of our last journey that must be recounted. brightest hopes, weapons, and armour First, for the first time as Cap’n of the are taken from us. The wards around Reliquary, one of my crew has gone on the Tavern have been remade, thanks his last great voyage. And also… We to the peoples of the Aazadan, but the lost… By all the divines and gods of all ritual circle will take longer to heal. the planes… We lost. During that dark night, one of my crew was taken from us. He stood with The void has swept over Orin Rakatha us, and scouted outside the tavern to in a way that nothing else has done be- attempt to find a way to overcome the fore it. Plagues, hoardlings, hell, even forces that assailed us. However, he the dark wind was not as insidious and was cut down by one of the beasts, and as destructive as the void has been. One having given up his by one it is turning out void crystal to perform the lights. The nodes a ritual that I could not, that anchor this world perished instantly. He and empower us with was but a scrubwatch, the magics that we now but he was greater than need to survive, are be- any of us that night. He ing corrupted. Light, was what naught were fire, ice… Maybe more prepared to be among that we aren’t aware the peoples of the of. All corrupted, and Orin Rakatha. He was turned to naught but the brave, where we were dark. I seek solace in cowards. All of us, to that those things that we a one, are cowards. as Keepers hold dear, In these days to come, we will require knowledge and shadow, will not be cor- more men and women like Noodles. rupted soon and so there is still hope, People who will stand, and be prepared but it is dwindling. The situation was to die for our plane, and our nations. dire, but on our last night at the waysta- People who will fight, no matter what tion, it became even more so. Creatures the darkness holds, no matter the odds, spewed forth from the void at the will of and no matter the cost. Unless we do, a dark priest of that place attacked us, and stand together as all the nations, and with them they brought a storm of we are all doomed to be consumed by lashing rain that soaked through to our the eternal hunger that is the void. We souls. Many sought refuge in the wards lost this fight, but for Noodles, and all of the tavern, however my crew and a the others, I will fight to win the war. few others braved the storm and the beasts to try and find a way to defeat, or On the first night of our next gather- engage these creatures and their mas- ing, we will be holding a memorial for ter, but to no avail. The wards around Noodles. We invite any who wish to the tavern were smashed, and the ritual raise a glass to his name to join us on the 12th bell at the Reliquary. Page 22 Misthaven Academy Journal, Fire Day, 5th Planting Moon, 4 AC The Norse Word Search Challenge

Word List AESIR Members of the principal pan- HUGINN One of Odin’s ravens theon ALFHEIM One of the Nine Worlds, home HVERGELMIR Major spring of Nifelheim of the elves ASGARD One of the Nine Worlds, home JORD She is the Earth, personifi ed, of the Aesir and mother of Thor ASK First male human JORMUNGAND The Midgard serpent AUDUMBLA The primeval cow JOTUNHEIM One of the Nine Worlds, home of the jotnar BALDR God and second son of Odin, JOTUNN One of the jotnar (giants) twin of Hodr BESTLA Mother of Odin LAUFEY The mother of Loki BEYLA One of Freyr’s servants LOKI The father of Hel and Fenrir BIFROST A burning rainbow bridge be- MAGNI Brother to Modi and son of tween Midgard & Asgard Thor BORR Father of Odin MANI He is the Moon, personifi ed BRAGI God of Poetry MEILI Son of Odin and brother to Thor BROKKR Dwarven blacksmith, brother of MIDGARD One of the Nine Worlds, the Eitri, maker of Mjolnir home of man Misthaven Academy Journal, Fire Day, 5th Planting Moon, 4 AC Page 23 BYGGVIR Husband to Beyla MIMIR Beheaded god of knowledge & wisdom DAGR He is the Day, personified MJOLNIR Thor’s hammer DAINN One of the four stags of Yg- MODI Brother to Magni and son of gdrasil Thor DISIR Protective spirits of Fate MUNINN One of Odin’s ravens DRAUPNIR Odin’s magic ring MUSPELHEIM One of the Nine Worlds, realm of fire DUNEYRR One of the four stags of Yg- NIDAVELLIR One of the Nine Worlds, gdrasil home of the Dwarves DURATHROR One of the four stags of Yg- NIDHOGG A dragon that gnaws upon gdrasil Yggdrasil’s roots DVALINN One of the four stags of Yg- NIFLHEIM One of the Nine Worlds, gdrasil realm of ice and cold EITRI Dwarven blacksmith, brother of NIFLHEL The lowest level of Helheim Brokkr, maker of Mjolnir ELJUDNIR Hall of the dead in Niflheim NORNS Female beings of destiny EMBLA First female human NOTT She is the Night, personified FAFNIR Dragon, and son of Hreidmar ODIN One-eyed king of the Aesir FENRIR Mighty wolf, son of Loki, father RAGNAROK Great battle to end the age to Skoll & Hati FORSETI Aesit God of justice and recon- RATATOSK The squirrel of Yggdrasil ciliation FREKI One of the two wolves that ac- SKOLL A wolf pursuing Sol company Odin FREYJA Goddess of love, sex & beauty, SKULL The Norn of the Future brother to Freyr FREYR God & twin brother of Freyja SLEIPNIR Odin’s eight-legged steed and the child of Loki FRIGG Goddess and wife of Odin SOL She is the Sun, personified FULLA Virgin goddess and secret holder SURTR King of the fire giants GEFJON Goddess of the land THOR God of Thunder, Lightning and Storms. GERI One of the two wolves that ac- TYR God of Law and Heroic company Odin Glory GIMLE Where the survivors of Ragnarok URDR The Norn of the Past will live GLEIPNIR The bindings that hold Fenrir VALHALLA Hall of the fallen warriors GUNGNIR The spear of Odin VALKYRIE The female servants of Val- halla GYLFI The first recorded king of Scan- VANAHEIM One of the Nine Worlds, dinavia home of the Vanir HATI A wolf pursuing Mani VANIR Members of the second pan- theon HEIMDALL Watchman of the gods VERDANDI The Norn of the Present HELHEIM One of the Nine Worlds, the VIDARR Aesir God of Vengeance and realm of lost souls son of Odin HODR Blind son of Odin, twin of Baldr YGGDRASIL The world tree that connects the Nine Worlds HREIDMAR King of the Dwarves, father of YMIR The first of all the jotnar Fafnir Once all of the above words have been found the remaining unused letters will spell out a Norse related question. Find the answer to that question and then take the completed puzzle, along with your answer, to the Academy tent before the end of the gathering to enter your name into the prize draw. Page 24 Misthaven Academy Journal, Fire Day, 5th Planting Moon, 4 AC Introducing the Guild of Artificers In association with the Faculty of Alchemists and Thau- maturges, and the Faculty of Mystical Arts, the esteemed Guild of Artificers would like to announce that they are now accepting new applications from people wishing to pursue the finer arts of crafting. The esteemed profession of artificer goes back thou- sands of years but more recently numbers have started to diminish. In an attempt to counter this decline the Guild is making the historical step of opening our doors and accepting public applications instead of handling mem- bership by invite-only. All factions are welcome within the Guild of Artificers and no pre-requisites have been set. It should also be noted that, whilst the administration of the Guild will be handled by the Academy during the faction gatherings, there is no requirement for guild members to also be Academy members. They can be if they so wish though. We will soon be starting classes in three different areas: Alchemist, Scribe, and Enchant- er. Once these taster classes have been accomplished, students may choose to specialise in their chosen subject or branch out into other areas. We will also offer like-minded students the ability to delve into the topic of research allowing endless possibilities. It should be noted that these courses are time intensive processes which will leave little time for other training. Therefore students that wish to excel as an artificer should not expect to master the martial arts, nor that of magic or ritual. Further information can be found by speaking with Willow of the Academy. Do you like to receive letters? Do you like to write to people? Do you want to connect to new people around the world? Sign up to the Academy Pen Pals scheme and be linked with like-minded people that also with to trade letters. Body and Organ Donors Save Lives and Further Medical Science! Register now and make a difference after you die! The Faculty of Physical Excellence now maintains a list of forward thinking heroes that wish to help others after they have left the mor- tal realm. Add your name to the list so that parts of you can live on after you die! Organ donation is an ethical, morally correct, and an outstanding scheme to sign up to. This single act can help save the lives of those you love, and anyway, you’re not going to need those bits when you’re dead, are you?! Why wait! Contact your local representative today!

All enquiries, submissions and requests should be made directly to your local Academy fi eld professor.