Teocawki Thread One: Hope Academy

[Zelphas]

Serhe

As you surreptitiously begin scanning the tests of those around you for answers, you soon come to the conclusion that nearly everyone is as clueless as you are on the test questions; only a few of the students are still actively writing, two of your Cell-mates among them. You are able to gather together a fair number of the answers by combining the scraps of information that each student was able to pull together, answering a majority of the questions this way. One particularly useful student is the bland-looking boy with intense green eyes; since the test began, he has not stopped writing, and at a prodigious pace.

After taking a third glance at the green-eyed boy's paper and writing down his answer, words appear unbidden in your mind, spoken by a moderate baritone in a clipped voice: The first three were free samples, to show you what I can offer. You want more, we can talk price. Glancing up a few minutes later, you accidentally meet the teacher's eye; he very deliberately winks at you before returning to his examination of the middle distance. You notice nothing change about your hair or clothing; it looks like the only actions worthy of punishment are those that attempt to harm the teacher.

Everyone

After lunch, the teacher leads the class out into the woods on Hope Academy; the buildings are soon lost to sight as the trees tower around you, some so huge that it seems like they could have stood since before the Threefold Day. The early afternoon sun casts green-shaded light down through winding pathways covered in underbrush and shines brightly in the few open clearings that you cross, and small flashes of movement show where animals, sensing your presence, flee deeper into the forest.

"On the first day, you have a simple task," the teacher announces, coming to a stop in the middle of a clearing and turning to face the group. "Find a suitable campsite, construct a camp for your Cell, and build and light a proper fire. Assume that you are in unconfirmed but likely Trib-infested territory, your supplies are limited, and any reinforcements are unlikely; you will be graded on your ability to conserve resources as well as your campsite's viability and comfort." He grins widely, looking over the class. "I will move from Cell to Cell, offering advice and instruction if asked. You have one hour, beginning now." At the word "now", he vanishes.