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Chapter 5 by Zingiber Zingiber

Who will you be?

Golondrina Redmoor, House Leontes

Golondrina Redmoor is a young woman raised in the wizarding world. Tall and athletically built with red hair, she excels at physical contests as well as magic. Though her early years were in a remote mountain village, she has been a promising student in magical preparatory school and placed highly enough to warrant an invitation from Boarbristle. Though diligent, pleasant, and talented, she also hides a secret: she is a half-dragon whose human form is partly of magical creation. Her secret makes her reserved and fearful of others, and she tries to hide it via misdirection and distraction. Golondrina is hoping to gain a secure position at the fringes of wizarding society where she can be quietly competent. Of course, the tales of the sexy misbehavior Boarbristle's students get up to have been enticing, since she's had little chance to get up to any of her own, and her athletic talents frightened off some potential suitors. And of course it's not safe to get too close to just anyone.

Golondrina Redmoor was sponsored by House Leontes.

Her Basic Traits are Ambition -1, Bravery +2, Cunning +1, Diligence +0.

Two special abilities, skills, spells, or other bonuses:

  • +1 to Bravery (to +3) to represent her draconic physique.
  • FRIEND: Leontes' Head of House Fergus Firetail knows and protects her secret, and will willingly grant a FAVOR.

Character Sheet: Golondrina Redmoor

Boarbristle Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry

House Leontes (House Trait: Bravery; House Sex Move: Charm).
Traits: Ambition -1, Bravery +3, Cunning +1, Diligence +0.
Extra Spells: none
Friends: Leontes' Head of House Fergus Firetail.
Favors: One from Fergus Firetail.
XP: 0.


You sit on the scratchy wooden plank seat of Boarbristle's ferry, looking at the swallows flitting over the edges of the Chilly Tarn. You have a faint memory from when you were little, and learning to fly, before the time it was no longer safe to be known as carrying dragon's blood. Before the time when you had to become just a human girl. The enchanted oars move in perfect rhythm, pulling you toward the bluff atop which sits Boarbristle Academy, your home for the next four years.

It's cool as you glide over the lake in the late afternoon, the cooler for the Chilly Tarn itself. But you feel no need to wrap your cloak tighter. It would take a chilly day indeed to bring a hint of discomfort.

There's a giggle from further toward the prow. Two returning students are chattering about their times on term break. It's a couple of girls from Minerval, you recognize from their House colors, one a tall, black-haired scarecrow, the other a moon-faced blonde with a soft-edged figure.

Your ears prick up as one of them didn't quite whisper.

"Don't look now, but it's a first year," the blonde says.

"Eh, do you think she knows about the Tarn?" the other says.

You frown. One disadvantage of a self-piloting ferry was the lack of supervision.

The boat rows itself up toward a gently shelving shore. The returning students hike up their robes and jump out. You pitch your luggage onto the shore, but before you can leave the boat, the tall girl takes out her wand and commands the boat to back water.

"School Rule!" she says. "First Years have to splash ashore!"

The boat halts not far from shore.

You feel at quite the disadvantage, since your wand was in its case in your baggage onshore. You size up the distance. Long, but not an impossible jump.

The two girls smirk at you. "Come on, come on," the blonde urges. "Sooner wet, sooner dry."

Golondrina's options:

  • Brave the Chilly Tarn and its effects.
  • Attempt a heroic leap from the boat to the shore. Custom Move: +BRAVERY at a -2 penalty (2d6+3-2 = 2d6+1).
  • Talk the girls out of it. Roll to Encounter the girls (+CUNNING, House Minerval's trait, 2d6+1).
  • Use your FAVOR with Fergus Firetail to call him down to help you out, presuming a token that's able to contact him.
  • Summon your wand so you're not so useless. (+CUNNING at a -1 penalty = 2d6+1-1 = 2d6)
  • Or think up a different Move to try.

Golondrina's next Move?

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