Recruiting new scholars

There's a pleasant buzzing in your head from the delicious tea and biscuits as your new Housemaster outlines his proposal.

Fergus Firetail strokes his short black beard and looks at the two of you appraisingly.

"Miss Applebum, was there any question that you would go to another academy than Boarbristle?" he asks.

Fay blinks. "No, Housemaster," she says, regaining her well-trained poise. "My father, and of course my grandfather." Fay actually blushes, because her father is a Boarbristle Bastard, got by her grandfather upon his Potions mistress. Fay had explained to you, Love potion mishap, granddad says. Fay looks brightly at Leontes' head wizard. "There never seemed any question of any other academy. It was merely a question of in which House I would find a home. Perhaps, sir, it still is."

Firetail laughs. "Oh, well said, Miss Applebum, you are a subtler wit than I knew." He nods to you. "Miss Woodbine, how did you come to us, at Boarbristle?"

You nod. "Mum was the village witch," you say. "She knew I had talent, but we were a poor match for me to learn her ways. Too eager, not steady enough. She put me out to prentice with witch after witch. I asked too many questions. I was clever but clumsy. I learned quickly but never quite felt the call, I suppose. My last mistress told me I was book-smart but foolish, and put me in for tutoring. I had little notion of academies, except that they were where city wizards and witches learned their ways. My best tutor was a witch who had been with House Minerval, and so at her say-so, House Minerval made me an offer, and there I went, hardly knowing anything of the others."

Firetail nods. "So the two of you followed your noses here, whether it was family tradition," he pauses, nodding to Fay, "or circumstantial connection." He nods to you. "Boarbristle is a bit insular, trading on its reputation. But we are not alone in the world. Other magical colleges refine the base metal of their students into journeymen of the useful arts. Our aim here is broader and deeper. Our setting is exquisite and fateful, between the Weirding Woods and the Chilly Tarn." He laughs. "But some young witches and wizards care less for our high history and tradition. They want to know why we are so special as to be truly worth their precious time, when more comfortable and stimulating settings are to be had." He nods and strokes his beard. "The two of you, clever and bold, Miss Woodbine and Miss Applebum, very clever to design that emblem, and very bold to display it. That's the wand hand, for each of you? Very conspicuous."

Fay stiffens. But an apple wreathed by woodbine, the image each of you wears upon her smallest fingernail, swishing it about as you draw signs and sigils, well, it is rather a bold statement, each of you saying, I am part of US.

The Housemaster clears his throat. "Miss Hawk's confidential notes heap scorn upon your brazen flaunting of a primary personal romantic connection through your rebus emblem of apple and woodbine. Wherever could they have discovered True Love? she asks. What soft-headed ingrates, what a waste of talent, Hawk writes." Firetail cocks his head. "As to myself? I think it's ADORABLE."

Both you and Fay are flushed pink from forehead to unmentionables. Firetail quirks a little smile. Fay makes a little squeak. You start giggling. And then all three of you are laughing like you've just discovered the best joke of your lives.

Having to beg help from Housemaster when a magical sex romp trapped Golondrina as a hermaphroditic dragon might have tickled his fancy as well, you'd allow. Messy bitches like you and Fay probably keep Firetail's life amusing.

Housemaster Firetail sighs. "Now I think we are all in the right state of mind," he says. "For my suggestions to be offered. For sometimes, the more promising, the more connected scholars aspiring to higher learning in magic, whatever their talents and preferred disciplines, the more promising scholars could use a reason to come here rather than go to another academy. I would like you two, Fay and Morgan, to be my ambassadors for our glorious academy upon a hill, above the tranquil waters, beside the haunted forest, to give the most promising young wizards and witches a reason to choose here." He takes a breath. "I wouldn't take exception to some advocacy for House Leontes, but each House finds homes for those who feel its call. Well, as long as love lasts, I suppose."

Fay looks like she very much wants to say something sharp back at Firetail, and at the same time very much does NOT want to say anything at all.

"As witness those present, sir," you say.

Fay reaches for your hand and clutches hold tightly.

"The better advocates you shall be, for your perspective built on experiences in Minerval and Leontes," your Housemaster says. "Does a recruitment tour appeal?"

Fay holds on to your hand but doesn't signal either way.

You say with as dignified a voice as you can, "Miss Applebum and I would be pleased to recruit for the Boarbristle Academy."

The Housemaster raises an eyebrow. "Fay, how say you?"

Fay sits, stonelike. Her hand is still in yours. Firetail tilts his head.

Fay turns to you. "Whither thou goest, I will go."

The Housemaster nods. "Thank you, scholars," he says. "Miss Hemstitch, the Tutor of House Beavertail, is arranging the recruiting tour. The two of you are representing House Leontes. I expect one or two from each other House, whether staff or scholars. Tutor will have guidance for you, so I'll ask Master Sharper to find you. Prepare for a journey."

"Housemaster," you say in chorus.

Afternoon finds the three of you together, sitting on a knoll overlooking the Chilly Tarn. Fay holds your hand. Golondrina holds Fay's hand. The wind shifts, turn and turn about, a clammy draft from off the Tarn, a warm breeze from along the hillside. Your dark hair is bound in a tie, while Fay's pale bob shimmers in the sun and breeze, and Golondrina's long tresses are a deep red banner fluttering in the wind.

"Housemaster held you after, what did he say?" you ask Fay.

"Warden's making me up a charm," Fay says. "Warding off bad dreams and sendings. Thoughtful. She's giving us a locket, too. In case we suddenly need a champion for a duel."

Golondrina laughs. "I hope it doesn't attract duels," she says.

"Hope not," says Fay. "Better than midnight Sendings, perhaps. Morgan, what do you think Firetail meant by sending us, and being bold, not merely brave?"

"You'd know better than I," you say, giving Fay's hand a squeeze. "Sounds like some magic class and family politics. Maybe Sharper knows. Or Hemstitch."

"Ah ha ha, give all the scut work to the girls' division," Fay says. "But maybe Headmistress gave it to Beavertail. Surprising, maybe, for Headmistress Porcinilla, she's all Oh How Important We All Are, and I'd think recruiting is part of that. But maybe she's reigning more than she rules, and her head is all in what Important Visitor is coming, and being above the scrum of who's actually crossing the Chilly Tarn to join us."

Golondrina offers no opinion.

"We're going to miss you, Lolo," you say.

Golondrina smiles. "Seems like everyone's making you pay for changing houses. But you two were my best welcome on my very first day."

Her smile hits you like a great golden sunrise.

"Stop that," Fay says. "Look, you're making Morgan cry."

Golondrina raises a finger and traces a sigil, witch sign. DRAGON.

Fay snorts, lets go your hand, and traces a reply with her finger. FUCKERS. "That's what we are." Fay lowers her finger and squeezes your hand. "And we love it."

"And we love you," you say. "Even if it's just for a term. Even if we know that you'll, well."

The three of you trace a sign together. FLY.

"So, Sharper, eh, when's that?" Fay asks.

"Not today, he's doing another set of dueling brackets," you say. "I think Sharper is trying to pry Emily Leopard out of the Warden's clutches, but Emily's still happily being Torch's shadow."

"Well, Torch isn't apt to accidentally bite Leopard to death," Fay says, raising her eyebrows. "Unlike Miss Wormwood."

You can't honestly protest Fay's jab. Miss Wormwood is a lecher for Boarbristle's scholars, including yourself, and enjoys injecting paralytic, aphrodisiac venom from the fangs of her head full of snakes. You're pretty sure the Nurse accidentally killed some young scholar, if the glimpse of Miss Wormwood's memory was true, a young man lying statue-still, staring skyward, his member high and stiff, empurpled with blood in full erection. But the Nurse likes you, as much as she likes anyone. She doesn't like Fay.

"Librarian's lost a few, too," Fay adds. "Queer, queer books in the back stacks."

You have 0 XP, +2 Ambition, +0 Bravery, +2 Cunning, +0 Diligence.
You know the Forbidden Spell TRANSFORM and the spell MORPHO PHALLUS.
Your FRIENDs are Fay and Golondrina, both in House Leontes, and Fay owes you a FAVOR.

Roll +BRAVERY(0) for you to ENCOUNTER the Tutor of House Leontes, Preston Sharper, to get his guidance on recruiting, then +DILIGENCE(0) to get Miss Hemstitch's instructions.

Pick up a GOAL related to recruiting that you owe to Fergus Firetail, describing its terms, and begin your recruiting trip with Fay.

Roll: 2d6+BRAVERY to ENCOUNTER the Tutor of House Leontes: 2d6+0 = 11. On a 10+, Preston Sharper is happy to help you prepare. (From the rules: This is a scene where you're looking them up to get something out of them or tell them something. On a 10+, they'll go along with what you want, take +1 Forward on your next roll.
Examples: HAVE SEX, ASK FOR A FAVOR, give you a new GOAL, help you ATTEMPT TO ACHIEVE A GOAL, advance the plot to help you.)