Scene 1, closed: Financial Aid
Please respond to the following situation. When the scene has closed it will be rewritten with your actions included.
You, all of you, walk into the financial aid office first thing in the morning, though not together. Any characters can conceivably converse in the lobby before or after they meet with their councilors.
All characters are told that they must come up with 10,000 gold per semester, of which the first payment, 1/5th the total, is due in two weeks. Scholarships are available by applying to department heads, or to the athletics coaches. Alternatively, your financial aid advisor can offer suggestions regarding sources of income. The only other options, beyond self-funding, are contracts of indentured service or withdrawal. You may discuss these options with your councilor now, or make an appointment to return later in the day.
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Ionjae frowns at the news. Quickly he mentally tallies his resources and finds them painfully lacking. Requesting an appointment later in the afternoon, he heads to the Conjuring Department noting to himself that by the looks of the scratches on the floor the school hadn't taken the time to make repairs since the previous semester saw a brilliant first year accidentally conjuring a worg, they had spent the better part of a day cleaning his remains off the walls.
Knocking before entering he was amazed to see Professor Xillik'kea, an ancient Bralani quickly jaunting to and fro in the form that he most preferred, that of a whirling tornado.
"Ehm, pro... Professor?" Ionjae stepped into the room as the door slammed shut from the twisting, and swirling currents of dry air. The sudden slamming stopped the whirlwind in it's place, as papers that had once been pristinely stacked were flung up into the air, scattering around the high-ceilings and under the large heavy stone table that served as Xillik'kea's workspace.
Just as the winds can change in nature, so too did the form of Xillik'kea as tempest of wind disappeared the old man could be seen with a quizzical look hidden behind his half-spectacles. "Well, if it isn't Ionjae... what brings you here my apt pupil?"
Ionjae explained the position he was in, mentioned that somehow he was certain that he and his sister's parents wouldn't be able to afford such a steep price for attending. He inquired about the scholarship, asking about any other students that may have requested an application as well.
... (don't want to get ahead of myself, but depending on Professor Xillik'kea's response you may include or ignore the following return for his afternoon meeting)...
With Ionjae's hopes slightly sullied with the knowledge that Professor Xillik'kea had already given the scholarship away to an older student, he trekked back to the Financial Aid Office to meet with a councilor. He had steeled himself against withdrawal, the experience he had already garnered here was too much of an eye-opener, if he must he would become an indentured servant... recognizing that his freedom to research and learn more would be adversely impacted greatly by the agreement.
Chair: I would have given you the scholorship, with some appropriatly demanding task, but if you'd prefer...
Gurg peered at Ionjae through his glassy yellow eyes. 'So? Have you got the money?'
'No, I'm afraid not. You mentioned alternative sources of income? I would appreciate any help you could give me.'
'Yes, of course.' He rubbed his greasy hands on his shirt, dropped the bone he'd been gnawing, and reached into his desk, producing a thick manila folder and an avalanche of loose papers. 'Really no one ever has to choose indentured service; we just hold that over your heads to motivate you. So, what have we got for you? Well... A small tribe of orcs has been harassing the farms around here. We're really their only protection, as well as their only market, out here in the middle of nowhere. A few farms have burned, and we've got a bunch of farmers cluttering up the stables. If you could take care of the orcs, convince them to go elsewhere, or just kill them if you'd rather, we could waive your first two payments, and you could keep whatever you manage to get out of them.'
'That sounds kind of dangerous.'
'Well, then you probably wouldn't be interested in capturing the three escaped half-ogres either... Maybe that is all a bit too mercenary for you. You could just feed the experiments in the menagerie, but you'd have to do that all year to cover just your first payment. Oh, I might have the thing for you. There've been a lot of problems lately, a lot of wards have been set off, someone scrying into the restricted areas of the library and a few of the proffesors' private quarters. If you could find out who's been doing it, you'd be all set for the semester. Or we need someone to go and escort a cartload of rare books from Blathe. Not a long trip. You go through the portal to Sigil, about eight miles across town, through another portal to one of those towns on the edge of the outlands, across another three miles of town, another portal and you're there. Pick up the cart and drive it back. Easy as pie, take you about a day and you've got 3/4ths of your first payment. So, what'll it be?'
Well, if it's a possibility to 'redo' the last section of my first post. I'll happily take the scholarship from Xillik'kea. I included the response after the parentheses in case he turned me down.
If that's not possible I think I'll take the Orc mission and the book escort mission. (Sorry garra, I'll leave this up to Dan.)
you know, hold on a second. I plainly requested a meeting later in the afternoon, since garra went ahead of me then those jobs should all be available for his picks first. I'm hoping that everything works out with Xillik'kea.
Well, one job at a time. Chair can take the orcs, although with your scores I wouldn't suggest attacking them.
Varian entered Professor Gregor's office hessitantly. Gregor liked to surprise people. It had been funny when it was Hector's chair that had actually been a large dog wrapped in an illusion, but Varian had no desire to experience anything similar himself.
"Professor? Are you here?"
A bookcase shimmered and disolved, revealing the professor sitting at his desk, which no longer appeared to be on the other side of the room. "It would appear so. What do you want Varian?"
"Well, sir, it seems, that is, I'm embarrased to say," Varian mumbled, "I don't have any way of paying for the term and would like to apply for a scholarship."
"Well, I think we can arrange that. And very sensible of you to not try anything silly like creating illusory gold. That sort of thing tends to come out in the end. We'll have to put you to work, but yes, you were more than acceptable last year. We'll carry you on the department budget."
"What will I have to do then, sir?"
"Oh, I'll think of something... Ah, for starters, correct all these papers." He gestured at a pile of books, which immediatly changed its mind and became a pile of papers. "Then, we'll put you to work advising some new students. Keep them out of trouble, supervise their experiments and starting research, that sort of thing. You will be held responsible for anything they do, but most of the students aren't problem, and we expect a small proportion of each class to die off anyway. You'll do fine."
Okay, Ionjae went, talked to Gurg, went to check on a scholarship, and went back to Gurg. Varian went, talked to Gurg, then went and got a scholarship (I may alter the terms of the scholarship if I can think of something more interesting. Consider it a placeholder for now.) Varian will have to go back and inform Gurg, but at that point there'd be no point in asking about alternative funding, but he can still run into any other students in line or the lobby. Feel free to start your own conversations either with each other, or with students you make up. I'll just add people to the list as they appear.
I plan on tracking my sister down and seeing if she can scry on these orcs for me; I wanna know if there are any obvious weaknesses that I can use to my advantage.
To add to that, I going to seek out Varian to see if I can pay him a favor in exchange for a little insurance policy for my adventure into the farmlands.
First off, there are about 30 of the orcs, though only about 8 look armed with anything more than a large knife. Those are the 8 largest. They're camped out in a large farm house about 15 miles from the campus. Several outbuildings and a few nearby farms have burned down. They have some carts and oxen, but don't appear to be in a hurry to move. Are you asking for any more specific information?
Secondly, what do you mean by insurance?
Thirdly, tell me how you know Varien. Things like any common classes, or extra curicular activities, or common friends. Why would you seek him out as opposed to anyone else?
"Now listen, my sister says you know your stuff. I'm willing to give you a shot, as long as you know your role in this will be mostly support." Ionjae glances around quickly to make certain that no one can overhear them.
"I'm find with a 50/50 split, who knows exactly what these creature's will have in their possession. Plus, we'll make our presence known a tad better on campus, which means more respect." Ionjae cracks a smile and his eyes glimmer for a moment before continuing, "Allow me to speak with my sister, to see if she can tell us more about their weaknesses. I will contact you as soon as I know more."
Hrm, to be honest, I hadn't considered Ionjae's age. Probably around 18, so let's say 18 just to make it a little easier.
"While I do excel at conjuration as you point out, I've taken the time to explore evocation as well, which as I'm sure you know, allows me to create some very nasty surprises indeed. Although, I must admit, you make a good point in asking my dear sister to inform me of any orc that may have some unexpected skills. We certainly wouldn't want to stumble across that mistake without proper knowledge." Ionjae begins to walk off, and calls over his shoulder, "Listen, I'll contact you shortly, as soon as I feel that we are properly prepared we will make our first exploratory advances."
Ionjae heads towards his sister (if she is still in the hall, otherwise he will check the library as well as her dormitory room) preparing himself to ask of her a great deal.
"Dear sister, how has news of your tuition struck you?" After listening to how everything has gone for her, I then explain my situation to her. "I have to clean up some problems in the fields outside our walls. There seems to be a large group of orcs massing and attacking the defenseless farmers that supply food to the city. I need your skills to learn of their intentions, and to find if there are any who are skilled in the ways of magic. I have been offered a large deal of gold to help wipe away my tuition bill, but I have to prevent them from causing any further harm to the farms. What do you say? Would you please help me in learning their weaknesses?"
Do you want to talk about anything in particular, or just chat?
...so is my sister just ignoring me?
Sorry, busy weekend.
Chat with Uzman:
Varien, spotting Uzman in the queue, walked over to him.
"Uzman, old boy, how have you been? Back for another semester? They haven't expelled you yet?"
"No, I have always been above reproach, which is more than you can claim. How was vacation back on the family estate in... where was that?"
"Vacation was delightful, thank you. And your's? And how are you doing for money? Tuition's up again."
"Is it? Crap. Gods only know what humiliation Gurg will subject me to. I've been stuck here all summer, working in the rookery. Just barely covered my books. Say, do you think you could front me the money for our room again?"
"Of course. So, you've been here all summer? Anything interesting happen?"
"Well, those friends of your's, the rough ones, kept looking for you, said you owed them money. What's that all about?"
"Oh, nothing important. I'll talk to them. Anything else?"
"Well, you remember Kelp, the evocation major who won the golemachy championship last year? He died over the summer."
"What? How?"
"Burst into flames, they say. He was working on something, and it got out of hand, I guess. The labs smelled horrible for weeks. Oh, and that cute abjuration major, Nancy or Nelly or whatever it was, she got pregnant and left. Guess you're out of luck on that one."
"Oh shut up."
"Well, my turn. I don't think I've got much chance of any scholarships. Wish me luck."
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