November Homework
Nov 4, 2018 20:46:12 GMT
Post by Kamin Corvidire on Nov 4, 2018 20:46:12 GMT
1st years: Puffskeins Again, the first years met indoors. It seemed the Headmaster had tamer plans for them this year before allowing them outside with any truly interesting beasts. Today, this plan involved a small wooden box on each desk, although one or two students tried to open theirs and found they were sealed shut. A few boxes emitted humming sounds, others rustling noises, and still others were silent. "Today," Headmaster Corvidire began as the students took their seats, "you will have an opportunity to show you can care for a living creature. Your charge will be a relatively easy one, but the spirit of all husbandry is the same, and it requires one to understand, analyze, and attend to a creature's needs. Without a will to do that, one could not hope to provide care even for an earthworm." He waved his wand, and each of the boxes sprang open to reveal a small, round creature covered with soft fur. They peered up at the students with blank button eyes. Each was nestled in a bed of straw. "These are puffskeins, which are likely already familiar to many of you. You will take your puffskein with you when you leave class today, keep a record of your interactions with it and the care you provide, and return that record to me next week along with your puffskein. For the remainder of class, you may familiarize yourselves with puffskeins in your textbook, and get to know your individual puffskein. If your puffskein does not return to me alive, that is an automatic T grade and I will be noting it when considering your participation in future lessons. I am here to answer any questions." You look down at your puffskein. It blinks back at you, then begins to emit a steady humming sound. Response form: 4+ diary entries detailing how you interacted with your puffskein, and what its condition was at the end of the week. During November and December, first years may RP in any thread with their puffskein. External references: Encyclopedia Article - Puffskeins |
2nd years: Augureys On the lawn, the Headmaster stood next to a tall, covered cage as the class gathered. Near the base of the cage sat a large box spilling over with thorny branches, and a smaller box filled with what appeared to be sawdust. "Today, you will be assisting with the duties caring for an injured creature, which is an unfortunate but necessary element of husbandry. I have some visitors from a rehabilitation center in Uganda, and they represent a group of their species that live at the sanctuary because they are unable to survive in the wild." The Headmaster pulled the cover from the cage and stepped aside. Two large birds sat side-by-side on a perch within it, their ashen feathers reflecting the autumn sunlight. One of them had an ugly twist to its black beak and an empty eye socket, and the other stood with only one clawed foot gripping the perch. "I would like you to meet Bahati and Fiona. They are a mated pair of augureys, and although they are both originally from Ireland, they make their home at the Uagadou Rehabilitation Center. I'm sure you can see why: both were injured by contact with humans. In Bahati's case, he caught his leg in some Muggle fishing line and it had to be removed. As for Fiona, it is believed she was hit in the face with an Incendio spell as she had to be treated for burns, but no one can guess the motives. Many wizards still believe the augurey's cry to be an omen of death, and this unfortunate misconception can be dangerous for the creatures. In any case, for obvious reasons, this pair has great difficulty constructing a nest. There are several other injured augureys back at the sanctuary who require similar help. So your task today will be to do the task for them, using vegetation native to their original Irish habitat. Please form 4 groups and collect a pair of gloves for each of you. Take from these Furze and blackberry branches as you need. At the end, you will give me your nest and I will place it in the cage for Bahati and Fiona to inspect and approve. Note the diagrams of augurey nests in your textbooks. You may begin." You look around, seeking a group to join. Response form: Writing prompt External references: Encyclopedia Article - Augureys |
3rd years: Chizpurfles "This lesson will teach you how to deal with a very common and very destructive pest in the wizarding world: the chizpurfle. These pests are attracted to any item with magical properties, and voraciously devour them. Many a magical household have lost cauldrons, brooms, wands, and items of even greater value and rarity to a chizpurfle infestation. I am providing each group with a school cauldron. Inside this cauldron you will find a selection of numbered vials containing chizpurfle repellent potions, each brewed for us by Professor Brown." The Headmaster nodded to the woman next to him, who smiled in acknowledgement. "Your task will be to create a blend of these repellents and apply it to your cauldron. You will record your recipe using the numbers on the vials, and we will place the cauldron in here." He gestured now at the crate, and although no one could see into it, presumably it was full of the crablike pests. "If the chizpurfles do not try to eat the cauldron, your blend was successful. Professor Brown is here to record the results and answer any questions you may have about the potions themselves. You may begin." You drift over to a cauldron and peer inside. There are seven fist-sized vials within, one empty one and six containing potions of various colors and consistencies. Response form: Writing prompt, with a die roll to determine the outcome. 1-4 = Successful potion application; the chizpurfles do not eat the cauldron. 5-6 = Unsuccessful potion application; the chizpurfles begin to chew on the cauldron. External references: Encyclopedia Article - Chizpurfles Random Dice Roller |
4th years: Tebos The Headmaster had been waiting for the 4th years near the old hut, carrying in his arms a number of lengths of rope. When they arrived he motioned for them to follow him. He led them around the edge of the Forbidden Forest then slightly past the treeline, until they came upon two stone paddocks connected by a gate. The inner walls were steeply sloped in a way that would prevent animals without much dexterity from climbing up to the wall or even approaching it directly. Both paddocks appeared to be empty, although snuffling and stamping sounds filled the quiet forest air. "Today, you will be learning about tebos. To begin, please open your textbooks to page 342, where you will find an illustration of a tebo. As you may have known, or already guessed, the tebo can make itself invisible. This is a useful defense mechanism, as wizards have decided its skin is a valuable commodity. So valuable in fact, that a spell was created specifically to reveal it: Porcus revelio. Fortunately for the tebo, this spell is ineffective unless it is aimed directly at a spot between the tebo's eyes. For obvious reasons, this renders it useless when one has no idea where that spot is. Your task today will be to devise a method of detecting a tebo well enough to catch and restrain it so that I can use the revealing charm on it-- not for purpose of hunting it, although I cannot prevent you from someday putting it to that use. Tebo husbandry will inevitably require medical attention, for although they have tough hides, their lifestyle makes it quite likely they will eventually sustain injuries from predators or even from one another. To treat something, you must be able to see it and catch it. In a few minutes, I will release you to work in a group of four to devise your method of revealing. You will be free to go about the castle grounds and collect materials or do research as you wish. In one hour, you will gather back here with your methods at the ready. One by one, I will release a tebo into this larger paddock, and each group will have a chance to put their method to the test in an effort to catch their tebo with this rope. Once it is caught, I will reveal it completely for a short period of time, allowing you to check for signs of injuries or illness." The Headmaster paused, looking over his class as they waited. Some of them moved restlessly, eager to get started. Others glanced around with uncertainty, hoping to get a spot in a group with others who knew what they were doing. "Please note that a failure to reveal or restrain your tebo is not necessarily a failing grade. You are of an age now that you should begin facing challenges difficult enough not to expect immediate success. Working with animals, especially magical ones and even more especially wild magic ones, requires a sense for their temperament that can only be gained through trial and error. More than cleverness, I am looking for determination, creativity, and above all, a respect for this animal and what it can do. You may begin." Response form: Writing prompt, with a die roll to determine the outcome. 1-3 = Successful detection of the tebo; the tebo is visible and restrained well enough for the Headmaster to locate the spot between its eyes and perform the revealing spell. 4-6 = Unsuccessful detection of the tebo; the tebo is not visible enough and/or not properly restrained, so the Headmaster is unable to locate the correct spot and perform the revealing spell. External references: Encyclopedia Artigle - Tebos Random Dice Roller |
5th years: Kelpies Response form: Writing prompt and die roll.The most concerning change about the classroom today was that there was a sturdy ladder leaned against the tank in the back, leading up to a circular gap more than large enough to allow a student to pass through. Just like the previous class, the water rose up above the gap but did not flow over. Instead, it flowed past like a river, held back by a magical forcefield. The Headmaster waited longer than usual for the chatter to die away, as he understood the fifth years were probably pensive about what was clearly a setup for someone to enter the tank. But he cut through the last lagging murmurs by starting his lecture in a loud voice. “Today, I will ask you to undertake a task requiring a significant amount of nerve. I will be in the tank ready to intervene should you have trouble, but nevertheless, a small about of real risk exists. In this tank is a single kelpie, an extremely dangerous creature with shapeshifting abilities and a natural confounding charm that tends to lure in nearby wizards. Your task will be to enter the tank and attempt to retrieve a hair from the kelpie’s main; the primary goal, of course, is to emerge without harm done to yourself or to the kelpie, but a bonus will be added if you can retrieve the hair. You will have some time to review the entry on kelpies in your encyclopedia, including a method by which it can be neutralized with no harm done.” The Headmaster turned to the ladder and ascended the first few steps before looking back at the class. “My goal with this lesson is twofold: first, that you will have some resistance to the kelpie’s ambient magic should you encounter it in the wild and second, that you should have some experience in defending yourself should that fail and you find yourself drawn into its lair anyway. The water is charmed to allow normal breathing, as I want you all to be able to focus on the kelpie. Please be aware it will know when you have entered the water and will likely be immediately hostile.” With that, Headmaster Corvidire shed his cloak and kicked his boots to the floor. In his shirt and trousers, he squinted into the water depths for a moment then dove through the gap. Immediately, a large and sinewy shape darted towards him. It was the kelpie, having already assumed its half-horse form. It appeared to recognize the Headmaster, for it veered away as it drew close to him and then circled, pinning him with pure yellow eyes as if searching for a weakness. The Headmaster tread the water for a moment, carefully watching its movements. Then he turned and gazed out at the class before pointing at the student sitting in the front row on the right. You watch the nervous student approach the ladder, then quickly count how many are between you, in the middle of the second row. Eight students to go before it’s your turn. 1 = Successful roll; you manage to retrieve a Kelpie hair. 2-5 = Unsuccessful roll; you do not manage to retrieve a Kelpie hair, but you are uninjured. 6 = Unsuccessful roll; you do not manage to retrieve a Kelpie hair, and you sustain a minor injury before Headmaster Corvidire steps in, or you escape. External references: Encyclopedia Article - Kelpies Random Dice Roller |