Prismatic Education Begins With A Spark 11 (MTG/Multicross)

Prismatic Education 11

The pest, a spiny creature with no eyes and very sharp teeth, was placed on the flat counter. It took cautious sniffs of the air, munching on some bug that was its food. Nivali stepped back and nodded to me.

A steel ball slammed into the pest, causing it to stiffen up. As always, despite the forceful impact, there was no propulsion from the transfer of inertia; the ball spun in place against the pest’s body, which remained where it was.

My Witherbloom friend reached out, and began to draw life energy from the pest in a stream of green mana. The energy was subsequently channeled over to the nearby pots, causing plants to sprout from the seeds planted in them. Eventually, the life of the pest was expended, causing it to dissolve into scraps of organic material, and leaving the still-spinning sphere on the table.

With a gesture, I recalled the ball back to me. “So what’s the conclusion?”

Nivali began looking over the newly grown plants, inspecting them for any deficient growth or development. “Well, the amount of energy given by the affected pest is consistently more. I just don’t get how it’s possible when there isn’t any magic infused in those balls.”

“That’s the mystery, I guess.” I shrugged. 

“Are you planning to research it for your final year project?” 

“I haven’t really considered it, and besides, isn’t there still one more year?”

“I heard that some projects can take quite long, so preparing early might be a good idea.” 

The idea of researching the Spin was interesting, but when I thought about researching it, somehow it didn’t really attract me. As long as it works, and I can use it practically, I don’t really care.

Nivali paused in her examination to glance at me. “Another recalled memory?”

“Nah, just trying to decide what I’d do for my final year project now that you put that idea in my head.”

“Oh?”

Off the top of my head, I would say my current interest lay in the whole color effect of my Prismatic Magic, as it really expanded the variety of what I could do with my magic now; instead of the usual elemental casting, I could imbue the elemental orb with a corresponding color to give rise to multiple effects. For example, Blue and Water to craft an entire three-dimensional map out of liquid, or Green and Life to make fast-growing plants to bind my target.

Yet despite the increased versatility of my magic, it didn’t feel like the sort of thing I wanted to have as my final project. While not all the teachers at Strixhaven had a talent for teaching, the one thing they all had in common was that they loved the idea of learning, of furthering their understanding and comprehension of the wonders of magic. 

Wait,that’s it! The thing I want to do as a final year project… it’s something that combines separate fields to show that I truly learned what was being taught, not just regurgitating as I usually do!

“Seems like you thought of something.” Nivali commented, pausing in her work to watch me.

“It’s… a vague idea, but I think it’s worth looking further into it.”

She smiled. “Good for you. Now, mind helping me carry some more of those pots over? I have another test in mind.”

As the days passed, and I began paying more attention to my fellow students, I noticed quite a few of them were really improving in their theoretical understanding and practical application when it came to magic. Even my friends were standing out in their own way, one of us more than the others.

“There he is, the dwarf of the hour!” Dyna announced as Hofri joined us at our table.

“It’s really not that amazing,” He replied with modest embarrassment.

“No, it really is,” Nivali insisted.

It wasn’t just our group that was paying attention to him, as quite a few other students, the majority of them from Lorehold, were giving him impressed looks as well, murmuring explanations to their friends who weren’t aware yet. The main reason for that popularity was laid out on the table in front of us, a large article in the Strixhaven Star describing Hofri’s accomplishment of being the first ever Lorehold mage to create a spirit statue from scratch. Given the long storied history of the school, being the first mage to perform a deed was something to brag about.

While he had generously given an interview to the student journalists about the matter, hearing the story directly from the horse’s mouth was a different issue. The four of us eventually managed to get him to share the details.

The ethereal spirits that Lorehold mages summoned had to be housed within statues to physically interact with the world, but the statues themselves had to be compatible in order for that to happen. One couldn’t expect to put a loxodon spirit in a human statue, it just wouldn’t work. So the spirits that could form spirit statues were usually famous personages who had statues made of them in the first place. The lesser-known names who had no statues around to possess had no choice but to stay as spirits, only able to share what small bits of knowledge they could retain in death. 

At least until Hofri decided to try sculpting a statue for one of those spirits, utilizing his Prismari experience to do so. From the way he described it, his success came about due to that and his own keen spiritual sense. The latter helped him visualize how the spirit looked like in life, while his own crafting skills enabled him to replicate that in stone. Of course, there was a bit more to doing it than just that, but so far, Hofri had been able to repeat his success in front of observers, proving that it wasn’t just a fluke.

“You’re going to be a very popular pick for future expeditions,” Dyna observed, a note of jealousy in her tone.

The dwarf grunted. “I already am.”

“Why?” Nivali wondered.

“Spirit statues can recall and provide more detail than if they were just spirits,” Hofri explained, “So finding a usable statue that we can turn into a spirit statue can help unearth more discoveries in the surrounding area.”

“So if the expedition has our talented dwarf friend here to make spirit statues instead of relying on spirits with poor memories…” Vyse left the sentence hanging.

“Oh, I see!” Nivali straightened up with understanding on her face. 

“Nice nickname they gave you, by the way,” I tapped the part in the article with a finger. “Hofri Ghostforge. Definitely suits you.”

“Alright, enough already! Time for us to drink and celebrate!”

Hofri did not have to pay for a single drink that night, as many other students came up offering to pay for his beverages. Dyna had to help him back to his dorm because of how drunk he got.

As though encouraged by the news, more students became proactive in class, which did cause a little sidetracking in the syllabus, but no one objected because the tangent was often interesting enough. One particularly memorable one happened during a lecture for Overview of Magical Notation.

“And that is how you can create a spellscroll of Fireball.” The owlin lecturer finished, looking around the hall as students took notes. “Any questions? Yes, you over there.”

The indicated Lorehold troll student lowered his hand and stood up. “Professor,” He began in a deep voice typical of his race, “What is the difference between the spellscrolls created this way, and the ones often used by Lorehold pledgemages to cast spells? Like this Fireball scroll, versus a written record of a devastating firestorm?”

“Good question.” The old owlin replied, before turning his head completely around to look at the dhampyr sitting near the front on the other side of the hall. “Instructor Blackstone, would you like to answer this one?”

“Yes, professor.” The male teaching assistant, dressed in the black style of Silverquill, moved to stand in front of the lectern. “A simple answer would be that the Lorehold scrolls are stronger, due to being empowered by history.”

“And a more in-depth one?” The lecturer prompted.

“In this class, what you all are studying is the magic of writing, whether it is in basic general script, or symbols. It is your magic that you are shaping through those mediums.”

With several quick flicks of black-tipped fingers, he sketched a floating glyph in the air, which he proceeded to activate into a spray of inky weapons that sank into the empty floor in front of the lectern. They stayed embedded there for several seconds, before fading away into nothing.

Definitely woke a few people right up. I mused to myself. I learned that symbol in Arcane History class, I’m pretty sure it meant ‘armory’.

“In comparison, Lorehold magic is closely related to history itself. The scrolls you’re referring to,” Instructor Blackstone addressed the troll student, "-are often old accounts, written in the past about actual events that occurred. This establishment of the event, the factor of time, and the power of the mage that is drawing upon it, all of them contribute to the final effect of the spell.”

As he spoke, his ink magic took shape to illustrate the examples he gave, making for an engrossing show.

“That’s not to say that the Lorehold one is consistently stronger. Having more factors also means that it is more easily disrupted.” He glanced at the patiently waiting lecturer. “But that’s something better discussed in your Lorehold classes. Did that answer your question?”

“Yes, instructor.” The student nodded and sat down.

“Thank you, Brenneth,” The owlin lecturer reclaimed his position behind the lectern, “I’m sure many of the students have learned something new from you.”

Now that makes me wonder… can present writing draw upon history for a specific effect? I wrote down the idea in my journal, to examine further at a later point of time.

…

For something meant to encourage unity, this event sure causes a lot of trouble between students. 

While my relationships with my peers outside of my friend group was generally favorable, not everyone was the same. Some students had rivalries with others, and it was a continuous back and forth of sniping, both in and out of class. Sometimes the incidents got bad enough that the teachers had to step in, issuing either extra homework or detention as disciplinary action. As expected, the Magister’s Masquerade also became another avenue for this aggression.

And it was more work for my job as designated peacekeeper. In this case, catching a bunch of inklings sent to damage outfits meant for the fashion show.

[Prismatic Magic: Silver Sealing Binds]

Silvery bands materialized around the inkling, locking it in place despite its normally fluid body. That gave me the opportunity to land my next spell, shrinking it down into a containment sphere similar to the one I used to hold Marill. It flew into my hands, the object shaking slightly as the inkling scrabbled against its prison.

“You caught it. Good job.” My Silverquill colleague joined me. “Think that’s the last of them?”

“Let me check.” Shield-Arcane.

The two energy spheres swirled together with my hand gestures, before expanding into a flat disk before me.

[Prismatic Magic: White-Black Detection Map]

On the white disk, several dots of black could be seen, but none of them stood out, which meant the detected magical signatures didn’t match the ones I was looking for. 

“Looks like that was the last one. Here.” I passed him the sphere, the tiny inkling within wriggling around, but unable to escape.

“Alright. I'll pass this to the disciplinarian along with the others. He’ll track down whoever’s responsible.”

Neither of us mentioned that the use of inklings narrowed things down quite a bit already.

“Okay. I’ll continue to keep watch here.”

I took the chance to wander around the room, appreciating the various designed outfits, all meant for the fashion show scheduled to take place in a few days’ time.

While the Masquerade itself was near the end of the academic year, the topic of what to wear often left students clueless. The planning committee’s solution to that was a fashion show, which both presented the attendees with a clothing theme to follow, and a selection of options to go with. Some would commission the designer whose work caught their eye for more outfits, others would just bid on the outfits themselves, in a post-show auction meant to raise funds for the Masquerade.

As with any big-name visual show performance, the event was held at the Rose Stage on Silverquill’s campus. I remembered attending the Rose Stage Festival there last year as a spectator, though that was more of a stand-up event with audience participation, organized by the Playactors Drama Guild. In comparison, this event was much bigger in scale. 

It wasn’t just student designers submitting their outfits; some of them came from alumni, either to contribute to the school or to earn publicity. Regardless of the maker, the fashion designs were generally eye-catching. 

This year’s theme was… ‘Union of Colors’, I think? The various interpretations are interesting, to say the least.

The outfits ranged from the somewhat mundane, like a mix of colored patches fitted together into a robe, to the slightly enchanted, as shown by the jellyfish-like dress that had illusory fishes swimming around it, all the way up to the rather daring, most of all the bunch of glowing geometric shapes assembled into a form fitting dress. That last one was reliant on the inbuilt illumination effects and placement to cover up any exposure going against general propriety, but there would still be a lot of exposed skin.

There were also a few unique ones that stood out; a collection of palette-shaped brooches that would release colorful ink to cover the user in a shifting outfit of liquid, a Quandrix-Witherbloom mix of vines and ferns growing in a pattern, even one that was definitely Lorehold-inspired given the scrolls draping over the mannequin. 

I peered at the description label for the last one. Yeah, it’s more of a utility belt of magical effects than a proper fashion outfit. Pass.

There was one that triggered a memory for me; a prominently green dress decorated with colorful streamers and multicolored orbs, with a star on the chest. The moment I saw it, my first thought was:

That looks like a Christmas tree.

It took me a while to properly identify the strange term. Christmas was some kind of religious holiday observed in my past life, and apparently, there was gift-giving involved, from the way I expected gift-wrapped boxes underneath the dress. However, before I could think about it any further, my Silverquill colleague soon returned, having handed off the captured inklings. Our shift ended shortly after that, and we took our leave once our replacements arrived to relieve us.

Perhaps in the future, I might try looking for clues about my past life in other planes…

After the troublemakers were appropriately punished, the fashion show itself went off without a hitch. Well-dressed students, professors and alumni mingled around the place during the preshow period, with the names of famous designers going in and out of my ears. When the bell rang to signal the start, everyone took their seats and watched as the models appeared one by one to walk around the perimeter of the Rose Stage, doing their best to highlight the outfits they were wearing.

As with the outfits themselves, some presentations were more put together than others. The announcer’s verbal description, the lighting, the musical accompaniment, the model’s movements, all of them contributed to the total appeal effect, and the outstanding ones definitely stole the show. Another interesting factor was the crowd themselves; I could spot more than a few guests who were there to scout the models themselves instead of looking at the outfits.

Immediately after the fashion show ended, a podium was brought out onto the Rose Stage, and the announcer stepped up to handle the role of auctioneer.

“Good evening to all guests,” The young male greeted in a clear voice, “And thank you all for coming here tonight. As always, all earnings from this auction will go to fund the Magister’s Masquerade. Now, without further ado, let us begin. For our first item, we have a five-colored suit, enchanted to resist wrinkling and to fit itself to its wearer automatically.”

As he spoke, an assistant pushed a mannequin dressed in the presented outfit forward, where a spotlight immediately illuminated it. Interested guests immediately started making bids, and outfit after outfit were sold off with appreciative applause. Winners were also illuminated by the spotlights automatically, with special effects to go along with it.

The fashion auction went by quickly, and I even threw a few half-hearted bids for some outfits that had caught my interest, though I didn’t push too much when other people outbid me. Fancy fabric aside, the magic effect incorporated into the clothing’s creation usually tacked on a multiplier to the price, one that increased according to the complexity. The final bids for some of the more complicated ones easily exceeded a few hundred gold. 

“Going twice! And sold! Item number thirty-nine, to the Quandrix student there for three hundred and twenty gold!”

I squinted as a bright light suddenly shone on me. Wait, what? 

Somehow, no one had topped the last bid I made on that three-piece suit, and I ended up winning it. I could afford it, but things were going to be a bit tight for the near future. Still, I couldn’t say that I regretted winning this outfit, because it had an interesting variety of appearances it should shift through.

The three components of shirt, pants and jacket could be transformed into five different clothing variations, and it had seven coloration patterns it could change to as well. A three-five-seven outfit like that? Definitely Quandrix.

I’m all hyped for appearing at the Masquerade wearing it, and to think that the event itself is still far off. Whoever first thought up this fashion show definitely hit upon a good idea.

Afterword: Seriously, I love making my own twists to canon material like this. The fashion show is part of the Magister’s Masquerade adventure, but the canon version had ‘A Starlit Night’ as a theme, with suggestions for the player characters to do tasks to prepare for the event like gathering stuff. As you can see from this chapter, I mixed in the supposed Rivalry relationship, but had Roy being a security guard instead. Hope you all enjoyed it!