Session II: Discovering the Vadalis Stables Report

General Summary

We begin the session with going over everyone's more stereotypical night and morning routines, as we transition to the second day on campus. We discover that:

Demitri takes REALLY long showers at night and then locks everything
Flip leaves his door a crack opened at night, and has a weird thing when he bathes in the morning that looks like he's flooding the place but then it's fine
Jolie prays morning and night, and is the one to try and rally the group come morning post individual routines
Lilli is quiet, journals and reads herself to sleep, then is a very early riser and takes her shower at night, including a careful hair routine
Flip is the only non-bookish person in the group
Everyone is a morning person

Lilli having gone alone to the cafeteria, not yet used to communal life, the others travel to go and join her. They all eat their fair share, as per their meal plan, but buy some extra food so they can also eat from the dorm room whenever they want. Fantasy food shopping is fun. The group is then lead by Demitri to the rookery, where they sit to read as the Ravens, pigeons and owls fly about. Flip has a moment to observe the distant sea from the rooftop, and Jolie has a mild panic attack at the bird's constant presence... and smell. They learn that for Demitri, breathing works differently and they only have to smell when they want to. This leads to some conversations of 'where are you from' and 'what's your deal' type of discussion, with everyone getting to know each other. As they are discussing, the group witnesses a Griffon... and soon after, a pegasus circling above and then below them, as if entering the school from the side. From their meeting with Devon yesterday, they know that House Vadalis has a wing on the 3rd floor of the school, and they do have a standing invitation, so with a very excited Demitri, they all head there. Devon welcomes them and informs them that griffon eggs just hatched not long ago, and though it is normally quite restricted, they could see if they wanted to, or choose and meet their mounts of the race tomorrow. The group opts to check on the griffon hatchlings through a glass, like that of a nursery. The halfwall is JUST low enough for Lilli to see from her tippy toes, and Demitri practically imprints their hands and face on the glass.

Everyone has a good time watching the newborn (2 of them) and notes that there is a sentience, an intelligence in the eyes of the griffons, even the newborn who seem to spot the lot. Demitri asks to help care for them, but Devon shows his dragonmark, and explains that the animal sense this, and would only let one marked as such near. He however informs Demitri that once the babies are weaned, and bigger but still kids, he should then be ok to come and assist. Mystery dice rolls were asked of Demitri (high of 13), Jolie (high of 19) and Lilli (high of 8), but no explanations were provided. As they left, Devon explains that griffons mate in pairs, but also have a humanoid life partner they choose or bond with. They become partners in life, and work together to keep Sky Way and other places safe... or enter races. They are however not mounts suited for novices. The group then goes to see the Pegasus they saw enter. Devon informs the group that they are Celestials from the plane of Daanvi, not from here, and are usually bonded to an angelic being. He asks if anyone in the group speaks Celestial, and Jolie does! They meet the Pegasus, frightfully named Anathema, and introduce each other. The pegasus is clearly treated more like a VIP than a horse, with baskets weaved in gold and silver to serve fresh fruit and vegetables, and luxury care for hooves, mane and fur. Though direct and a bit intense, the pegasus is friendly and polite, sharing her likes of manners and courtesies. She is able to communicate with Jolie telepathically, and all the group can feel the probing on their minds as they meet, accompanied with the sound bells. It is discussed that the Celestial language sounds like a flowing set of words with only vowels, like singing, as Jolie, not being telepathic themselves, answers out loud. Information is relayed, and Jolie forms a partnership with Anathema, who vows in their victory, after aiding the Pegasus be better understood, and remove a painful quill from their back left hoof.

The group goes to another stable after this and finds many hippogriffs in stalls, more beastial than the pegasus. GAME BREAK We return to Demitri choosing one of the blue Hippogriffs, matching his own colorations. He meets Seaside, a beautiful calm hippogriff that seems friendly. Devon offers a bucket of fish to Demitri to help and with solid Animal Handling rolls, after watching them mimic head greetings for what seem to be something that wouldn't end without intervention, and then befriends the beast quickly. Though, a bit oddly as well, with odd head cuddles, skritches and general playfulness. The mount is chosen.

Flip then opts for boldness and asks to find the most rowdy beast there, but the dice do not roll in his favor, and he instead finds an agitated animal. More bad rolls lead to misunderstanding the body language of the hippogriff for energy and excitment. So entering the stall marked with the animal's name: Tidal; Flip starts a strange display of mimicking the animal's nervous warning signs, causing for Tidal to escalate and panic fully, striking and snapping to Flip's torso and shoulder, leaving him badly injured and bleeding, but still up. Flip leaves the stahl, only now understanding the mistake. Employees rush to him and inform him that Tidal is a poor choice, as she was a rescue from a carnival who mishandled her, and that she gets nervous around people. They provide first aid, but Flip asks to return tomorrow to try again, instead of choosing another animal. He wants to give Tidal another chance. Lilli shows concern for her new friend, and Jolie seems shaken by the sight of the injury, with the root of the reaction not fully clear yet. Better, they leave, but only after Demitri steals one of the raw fish with the staff noticing, but seeming to find it too weird to intervene. Their fish supply does not seem low either. Outside, Demitri just chews on the fish, raw. They discuss the oddity and he realizes he might not need to do such thing anymore here... and just leaves the carcass on the floor. Demitri goes back to the library to exchange some books, to learn of dragonmarks, history of the school and most importantly, hippogriffs. Flip and Demitri go in to read together and it becomes clear that Flip will be avoiding the actual reading if he can, triggering the doting of his companions on that aspect. Lilli goes to the campus store for a bit of shopping and everyone comes in for the evening, initiating opportunities for IC chat. END GAME