On what was to be the last day of travel aboard the Jesters Torrent, Lasutro spent most of their morning in their room reading one of their new books, despite the minor annoyance that their roommates created for them with their curious glances and whispers. When Lasutro finally became unable to ignore the ultimately minor inconvenience of their roommates, she swapped out their book for another of their new purchases and quietly made their way up to the main deck. There, after taking a moment to appreciate the scenery and air that had surrounded them for the past couple days as she had on every day of their journey, she returned to reading.
As the day wore on and the sun reached its apex, Lasutro took a break from their book, instead shifting their focus onto watching the ship and the waves of the sea, eating more of their personal rations while she did so. Lasutro watched some of the unoccupied members of the ship’s crew busy themselves with what she perceived to be jolly conversation, while others crowded together over games of chance, that were occasionally included, to Lasutro’s slight surprise, a few of their fellow students to be, which somewhat surprisingly included Henry Poycirtt. Who, despite displaying the particular brand of arrogance that Lasutro had begun to qualify as the so-called noble pride of the empire, Henry was particularly adept at interacting with the crew. Even going so far to use the influence that he or his family had to keep the few students who’d likely unintentionally, or intentionally provoke the less tolerating members of the crew into less than savory events from doing so.
By the time the final hours of the afternoon made themselves known in the fading blue of the sky above the Jesters Torrent, Lasutro watched with excitement as she caught their first glimpses of the great lighthouse of Udriaph, followed by the larger buildings of the city that each made their slow and gradual appearance on the horizon. As the sight grew closer and previously soft and simple appearances of the larger structures of Udriaph became sharper and more detailed, Lasutro, slowed only by the slight obstacle of their fellow students to be, rushed below deck to prepare their things, returning above with haste to resume their observation of the ship’s arrival. Not long after the city came into sight, or at least when the few other large vessels in addition to the several small fishing boats that the ship avoided, became visible, the Jesters Torrent began making its way to the harbor under the red and purples that signaled the coming of dusk.
After what felt like forever to Lasutro, the crew of the Jesters Torrent began their work docking the ship with little direction from both the first mate and the Captain, the pair instead largely working alongside the crew while Lasutro and a good portion of their peers watched from the main deck in places where they couldn’t impede the crew’s work. When the ship was finally docked, Lasutro made their way onto the dock, alongside the few students to be who were prepared disembark the ship before its arrival, there, under the freshly lit torch light, Lasutro caught the final words of a conversation between the Captain and an unfamiliar figure, which was to be expected, however what drew their attention was instead the stranger’s fanciful robes. Following the end of the conversation, the figure removed a small, nearly bulging pouch from beneath their robes and quickly placed it into the Captain’s hand, who quickly pocketed it before returning aboard the ship, where she once more barked orders at her crew passing by the slow tickle of students to be.
With their voyage complete, Lasutro along with their fellow students headed down the dock and towards the city proper, before the group could make any real headway, they were stopped by the figure who had been speaking to the Captain with a simple hand gesture, which smoothly revealed a previously obscured clasp in their robes that formed the symbol of the Academy. Before anyone could ask why, or who the figure was, besides what could be inferred with a glance, they spoke to the group of future students in a commanding manner “When all of you are present I will introduce myself then we shall depart for your lodgings”
After a few more minutes of waiting on those still making their way off the ship, all of Lasutro’s future classmates had disembarked and joined the rest of the waiting group of students in front of the individual who had stopped them. Following a momentary pause during which they removed a small notebook along with a surprisingly intricate feather quill from their robes and quickly scribbled something within after a prolonged stare at each member of the group of future students.
When they finished taking their notes, and returned their notebook to its place in their robes, they pulled back their hood revealing the somewhat youthful features of the human man. On closer inspection of the man, it became clear that while he appeared not particularly old at first glance, he was, to Lasutro’s approximation, in the latter years of middle age. Though the features that hinted at his actual age might be expected to clash with the peculiar contrast, they instead worked together to give him what would be a rather attractive appearance if not for the fact he appeared to have not slept for a proper amount of time for the past several months. Despite the look of exhaustion both in and around his eyes, his short brown beard as well as every other physical aspect of the man was well kept.
“Alright, listen up so I don’t have to repeat myself. I am, if you did not guess already a mage of the Academy, both in education and now my own research. My name is not of particular value to you in your current level and additionally my work will keep me in parts of the Academy where we are just generally unlikely to meet, but I digress I am Uras Bibekantar, you may address me simply as Mage Uras. Now to business, the academy has prepared lodging for all of its new students, not just you,” Uras gestured towards Lasutro and their fellow students before continuing “but the many others who have been accepted across the empire, so it is likely you will have multiple roommates now or in the coming days.”
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“During your residence, you are expected to visit the Academy’s treasury where you will pay your tuition, however the method of payment may be discussed, and adjusted if the Academy deems it reasonable. You will have a month from your arrival to do so or you shall no longer be a student and fined an amount equal to the resources you have used and or have been given by the Academy.” Uras paused for a moment, waiting for a sign of acknowledgement then resuming their instructional speech, “Now in regards to the items you are expected to have prepared, by the first day of studies, ten days from tomorrow, you may purchase them directly from the academy at an additional cost or find them yourself. Additionally the gates of the Academy close at the end of dusk and open again just after dawn. And tomorrow you should be given an orientation of the grounds, and a detailed explanation of the Academy’s rules. That is all I was required to tell you, now follow me.” Uras said, then turned and began making their way off the dock and into the city.
Uras’s words hung in the air for a brief moment as he made his way towards the city at a speed only slightly faster than walking, before Lasutro and the rest of the new students rushed to catch up to him. As Lasutro and their fellow students followed behind the Mage Uras with what luggage they brought in tow, they each came to the realization that the deeper they moved within the narrow streets of Udriaph, the faster Uras’s pace became. Eventually the group of students went from casual conversation amongst each other during an almost leisurely walk together, to a mere collection of wheezes, grunts, and the rustling of heavy cloth and leather against the increasingly stone paved roads.
When they finally arrived at the gates of the Academy after over an hour of trekking the narrow and angled streets of the city, most of the new students were tired, not accustomed to the impromptu run started by Uras. Among those who were less bothered by the ordeal was Henry Poycirtt, and a few of the rougher looking students. Lasutro on the other hand, while not wheezing like some of their fellow students, she was still rather worn out, leading them to underline a previous mental note she had made to themselves about improving their stamina.
With their arrival at the gates the group was granted a brief respite and chance to take in the entrance to the Academy. While some focused on recovering their stamina, others took the time to admire the grand and seemingly simple gates guarded by two individuals who sat beyond it, one armed with a somewhat ill suited halabard and the other unarmed. During the group's moment of admiration, Uras spoke to the older of the two guards, who quietly set down their weapon before moving closer to the gate and engaging Uras in conversation. With their approach their uniform became clearer and their lack of armor more so, instead of the traditional armor Lasutro had come to expect on guards they simply donned robes that bore a resemblance to those that Uras wore if made of cheaper material and without the intricate patterns that seemed to fill the interior sleeves of Uras’s robes.
Not long after their conversation began the gates began to open and Uras said his goodbyes to both of the guards before giving a glare back at Lasutro and the rest of the students to hurry inside. As they made their way past the gate following Uras further into the Academy grounds, the well crafted cobblestone path grew wider and wider occasionally branching out to other parts of the Academy they had yet to discover and even down the hill and into the somewhat mysterious forest that seemed to border the one side of the Academy’s grounds. After several minutes of walking the large cobblestone path, Uras began leading Lasutro and the rest of the students down one of the smaller branching paths until they reached a cluster of buildings that faced away from a grove made up of a variety of different trees, beyond which Lasutro could make out the faint torch light of the city that sat below the escarpment where the Academy had been built.
Before any of the students, Lasutro included, had a chance to take in the architecture of both their new or temporary lodgings and the adjacent buildings, Uras gave a whistle and gestured them over to follow him to the space just out front of the largest building in the area. Seemingly waiting for them not far from the entrance of the building was a shorter human man who appeared to be in their early thirties, donning a simplified robe that appeared designed for comfort while maintaining the aesthetic one expected of a wizard. After a short greeting with the man, Uras gave a slight bow to the group of students before taking his leave and quickly disappearing into the night..
Under the dim light of the various torches and braziers the man who Uras spoke to approached the group of students and introduced themselves as Daarkiz Alchtatio the official caretaker of the building they were to be staying in, its formal name being the Gallina House. When they finished their brief introduction they removed a series of simple scrolls from under their robes and handed them to Henry Poycirtt, who happened to be the student closest to them, to distribute amongst the group.
As the scrolls were handed out, the amount of which was far less then the amount needed for everybody to get one, Daarkiz quickly explained their purpose, that purpose being a list of the rooms both vacant and not completely occupied. While the group burst into chatter that they seemed to expect Daarkiz continued with their prepared speech which quickly reduced most of the chatter amongst the group to the occasional murmur, where he told the group that they are free to choose roommates amongst themselves, and give the scrolls when their done to people who haven’t gotten a look yet, or if there is nobody who needs the scroll to return them directly or into the box on the first floor labeled: D Alchtatio.
After finishing their short introduction to space and giving the group a moment to chat about their lodging, Daarkiz began ushering everybody inside the four story half timbered building. While under the darkness of dusk the exterior of the Gallina House the rich colors of the wood couldn’t be appreciated properly, inside their beauty shone under the light of various sconces and the singular chandelier. The rest of the foyer was equally well decorated, at least in Lasutro’s mind, featuring some rather comfortable looking upholstered furniture that appeared perfect for casual conversation or even academic debate. Beyond the furniture at the end of the foyer, through the short hallway that featured the open doors to what appeared to be a sizable smoking room and a small library, was the modest stairway to the floors above.
Past the hallway to the staircase the floor opened up to a similar size as the foyer in terms of the width at least. To either side of the staircase the room shifted into halls not dissimilar to that of the one leading to the staircase itself, the main difference being the greater number of doors. There just before the staircase, Daarkiz addressed the group once more, asking if anybody had wanted one of the available rooms on the ground floor before they made their way up, to which some replied yes. While Lasutro and the rest of the students waited Daarkiz quickly showed them to the rooms they had decided on, before returning and leading everybody else to their chosen rooms on the floors above. On the fourth and final floor, with the last few students Lasutro made their way into one of the unoccupied rooms Daarkiz showed them, dropping their stuff at the foot of the bed before falling asleep without a word.