Valvatorez (
arcadianvampire) wrote in
daybreakacademy2019-08-31 11:30 am
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Another.... Boating Trip? Fishing For Fantastic Creatures
[Last month, Valvatorez had set up a calm, relaxing fishing trip aboard his personal vessel. It was meant to be something of a relaxing trip for anyone who wanted to come, as well as a chance to learn about marine biology to those who wanted to learn more. This month, however, Valvatorez called for another field trip... and not on his own personal boat, and this time meant for both marine biology participants and those who were part of his Defense Against Daemons and Vampires class, and as a general informative course.
As such, he needed a much larger boat this time. So he was taking one of Daybreak's owned vessels, which possessed better, more advanced equipment, was faster, and generally suited the needs of this trip more adequately. Before setting out, Valvatorez gave a safety briefing; importantly, not to interfere or agitate whatever creatures they were going to see in any way, to keep calm, and to keep their specialized life jackets on at all times. Keen-eyed students will notice every life-jacket is very heavily runed with resistance to poison, acid, and physical resistance as a matter of precaution. Each student is also issued a pair of noise-cancelling headphones, which he'll be explaining about later.
Once everyone embarked on board, the ship set sail at astonishing speed towards the waters of Greece.]
[A]
[It all happened in sort of a blur. Valvatorez told his students to wait, while he handled something. He then immediately dove overboard and disappeared beneath the waves for several moments. It might be a little worrying. That is, until, several moments later, you'll feel the boat begin to rock as the seas below become more unstable. And then suddenly, a massive pillar of water shot up toward the sky, and a giant, serpentine looking fish with the head of a shark soared through the air. ...And it looked like it was heading right for the boat.
However, its trajectory was.... strange, to say the least. It suddenly shifted, its snake-like body suddenly pointing down near the boat as it hit the surface. It struggled against something as most of it went back into the water, and as it drew nearer to the ship, it was clear Valvatorez was wrestling it closer. He then leapt from the water back onto the deck, soaking wet, but with the giant creature in a one handed chokehold, still struggling to get away.]
Now class, pay attention and let me introduce you to a Cetus! This monstrous creature was common in Greek myth as a sea monster. There are many different varieties of them that lurk in the deeps, but they were a favorite for the likes of Perseus and Heracles to deal with. As you can see, they're quite foul tempered and can be dangerous if ill-prepared. Most of them are... just beasts, but they're quite fascinating as they defy your typical biological classification.
[The creature tried to swing back and bite at Valvatorez, which just led the vampire to tighten his grip further, and glare at the creature right into its eye.]
That's enough out of you. If you keep squirming, it's only going to get worse. [He turned back to his students and gave a smirk.] Now then, why don't the lot of you tell me your observations and ask any questions if you have them. It's not often you get to see one of these up close like this.
[Once the lesson's concluded, Valvatorez will let the creature go, and it rather hurriedly retreated back into the depths.]
[B]
[As time goes on, the boat travels through some mists and fog, going to a particularly sparsely traveled region in the sea. Through the mists, one might catch sight of it... a massive, towering creature, looking almost like the head of a dragon popping out of the water.
Valvatorez smiles when he sees it. Clearly, that's what they were looking for, and the boat turns toward an intercept course. The creature turns to face the boat, and a loud growl is heard over the waves and the runic engine.
Suddenly, another head rises from the sea... followed by another. And another. And another. It lets out a roar, coming strong out of five different mouths. It sounds like it's ready to attack, until Valvatorez pulls out a megaphone.]
You know damn well who it is! Now cut that out if you know what's good for you!
[The creature snorts collectively, sounding... irritated, but perhaps resigned. It allows the boat to come closer, and as it does, the mists begin to disperse, and everyone can get a clear look at it. When the boat draws near enough, one of the heads dips down and regards the passengers on the deck carefully. Green liquid oozes from around its mouth and drops into the sea, sizzling as it makes contact with the cold salt water.]
Everyone, I'd like to introduce you to the the Hydra. ...One of them, anyway. I believe they need little introduction. They can understand human speech, so do be polite when you ask questions. I suppose if you want to ask it questions, you can, and I'll do my best to interpret. I must confess, I am but conversational in Hydra, not fluent.
[The hydra's other heads keep watch, looking for other things, though occasionally a second one will come closer to the boat to curiously look at certain students. It might be a little unsettling. After the lesson is over, the boat will turn and sail away from the hydra, who seems content to stay right where it is, and many of its heads descend back beneath the waves.]
[C]
[There is one final stop on the trip. Valvatorez will fully admit that it will not be as impressive as seeing the Cetus or the Hydra, but it might be just as important to see. After awhile, he orders everyone to put on their noise cancelling headphones, telling them not to remove them until he gives his signal. He even put his own on, which suggested how serious he was about it. Though it would be inaudible to everyone else, he had the ship's captain send out a specific sonar pulse, a signal, to something.
It would be several minutes on deck in pure silence thanks to the headphones... and secretly, a zone of silence the boat itself generated in case some dumb student didn't take Valvatorez's warning seriously enough. Keeping the headphones on like he said was secretly part of the grade for the trip. But regardless of that, eventually a creature broke the surface of the ocean near the edge of the boat. She looked up at the ship, and seemingly recognized it in an instant... and Valvatorez recognized her in turn.
He smiled to her, rather warmly and genuinely, and waved to her. She returned the wave, before looking back down into the water and giving a hand signal to... creatures unseen below. She then looked back up at Valvatorez and gave a nod. At that point, he removed his headphones as the zone of silence deactivated... and sure enough, everything was fine. At that time, Valvatorez gave the specific hand signal to everyone that it was okay to remove their headphones.]
Ah, that's better. Precautionary measures, of course. Now then, class. I'd like to introduce you to someone. This is Queen Leucosia, ruler of the Sirens of the Myrtoan Sea, and a dear friend of mine. I expect you all to treat her with the respect that comes with it.
[Which is to say, mind your manners. Of course, Leucosia merely chuckles, and even before speaking, her voice carried with it almost an ethereal quality.]
Nonsense, Valvatorez. You know that I detest such... formality. [Now that she spoke, her voice was very unearthly in nature, one that was at the same time unbelievably pleasant to the ears, yet one that echoed through one's mind. Fortunately, like this, there was no magical enchantment or compulsion, but it wouldn't be far removed to say one could listen to her read a phone book and be almost enraptured by it. Still, she smiled, rather fondly and calmly.] You are looking well, still as stately as ever. I am quite happy to see you and your students again. ...A new batch this time, as always. You may all call me simply Leucosia. There are many stories surrounding us Sirens in your human mythology... some are true, others, less so. Know first that myself and my people are a race of aquatic Sirens, distantly related to the avian Sirens spoken of by Homer and many others.
Hmhm, and you are still as radiant as you ever were. [The vampire spoke fondly, but it was quite platonic, despite what it might've sounded like. Valvatorez's gaze set upon his students then.] You all may not be aware, but Sirens are actually a fairly diverse group of beings. They have similar patterns of operation, but live in different places. Avian and Sea Sirens are the most common, though... they are still quite rare on Earth.
Our kind are more abundant in the aquatic portions of the Outlands, so you would do well to use caution there. To you humans, our Song is practically irresistible, and can be incredibly dangerous if you are not well prepared. My people have long since eschewed using this Song to hunt humans, but we are one of the exceptions. Professor Valvatorez brought you here to learn from us first hand to learn about us, so you may better protect yourselves. As such, I will answer whatever questions you might have.
And remember, students... show the proper respect. You are addressing royalty, after all.
[Leucosia sighed, and shook her head.]
Please do not mind him. It is quite uncommon I get a chance to interact with surface dwellers like you all... so I would rather enjoy this time to talk.
[The visit with Queen Leucosia is quite long, between all the questions and conversations. It's quite easy to get carried away, given how easy she is to listen to. Eventually though, the ship will depart, and return to port where the students will be transported back to the Academy.]
[D]
[The wildcard. Feel free to speak to Valvatorez about anything seen today, or catch him when they finally return home.]
As such, he needed a much larger boat this time. So he was taking one of Daybreak's owned vessels, which possessed better, more advanced equipment, was faster, and generally suited the needs of this trip more adequately. Before setting out, Valvatorez gave a safety briefing; importantly, not to interfere or agitate whatever creatures they were going to see in any way, to keep calm, and to keep their specialized life jackets on at all times. Keen-eyed students will notice every life-jacket is very heavily runed with resistance to poison, acid, and physical resistance as a matter of precaution. Each student is also issued a pair of noise-cancelling headphones, which he'll be explaining about later.
Once everyone embarked on board, the ship set sail at astonishing speed towards the waters of Greece.]
[A]
[It all happened in sort of a blur. Valvatorez told his students to wait, while he handled something. He then immediately dove overboard and disappeared beneath the waves for several moments. It might be a little worrying. That is, until, several moments later, you'll feel the boat begin to rock as the seas below become more unstable. And then suddenly, a massive pillar of water shot up toward the sky, and a giant, serpentine looking fish with the head of a shark soared through the air. ...And it looked like it was heading right for the boat.
However, its trajectory was.... strange, to say the least. It suddenly shifted, its snake-like body suddenly pointing down near the boat as it hit the surface. It struggled against something as most of it went back into the water, and as it drew nearer to the ship, it was clear Valvatorez was wrestling it closer. He then leapt from the water back onto the deck, soaking wet, but with the giant creature in a one handed chokehold, still struggling to get away.]
Now class, pay attention and let me introduce you to a Cetus! This monstrous creature was common in Greek myth as a sea monster. There are many different varieties of them that lurk in the deeps, but they were a favorite for the likes of Perseus and Heracles to deal with. As you can see, they're quite foul tempered and can be dangerous if ill-prepared. Most of them are... just beasts, but they're quite fascinating as they defy your typical biological classification.
[The creature tried to swing back and bite at Valvatorez, which just led the vampire to tighten his grip further, and glare at the creature right into its eye.]
That's enough out of you. If you keep squirming, it's only going to get worse. [He turned back to his students and gave a smirk.] Now then, why don't the lot of you tell me your observations and ask any questions if you have them. It's not often you get to see one of these up close like this.
[Once the lesson's concluded, Valvatorez will let the creature go, and it rather hurriedly retreated back into the depths.]
[B]
[As time goes on, the boat travels through some mists and fog, going to a particularly sparsely traveled region in the sea. Through the mists, one might catch sight of it... a massive, towering creature, looking almost like the head of a dragon popping out of the water.
Valvatorez smiles when he sees it. Clearly, that's what they were looking for, and the boat turns toward an intercept course. The creature turns to face the boat, and a loud growl is heard over the waves and the runic engine.
Suddenly, another head rises from the sea... followed by another. And another. And another. It lets out a roar, coming strong out of five different mouths. It sounds like it's ready to attack, until Valvatorez pulls out a megaphone.]
You know damn well who it is! Now cut that out if you know what's good for you!
[The creature snorts collectively, sounding... irritated, but perhaps resigned. It allows the boat to come closer, and as it does, the mists begin to disperse, and everyone can get a clear look at it. When the boat draws near enough, one of the heads dips down and regards the passengers on the deck carefully. Green liquid oozes from around its mouth and drops into the sea, sizzling as it makes contact with the cold salt water.]
Everyone, I'd like to introduce you to the the Hydra. ...One of them, anyway. I believe they need little introduction. They can understand human speech, so do be polite when you ask questions. I suppose if you want to ask it questions, you can, and I'll do my best to interpret. I must confess, I am but conversational in Hydra, not fluent.
[The hydra's other heads keep watch, looking for other things, though occasionally a second one will come closer to the boat to curiously look at certain students. It might be a little unsettling. After the lesson is over, the boat will turn and sail away from the hydra, who seems content to stay right where it is, and many of its heads descend back beneath the waves.]
[C]
[There is one final stop on the trip. Valvatorez will fully admit that it will not be as impressive as seeing the Cetus or the Hydra, but it might be just as important to see. After awhile, he orders everyone to put on their noise cancelling headphones, telling them not to remove them until he gives his signal. He even put his own on, which suggested how serious he was about it. Though it would be inaudible to everyone else, he had the ship's captain send out a specific sonar pulse, a signal, to something.
It would be several minutes on deck in pure silence thanks to the headphones... and secretly, a zone of silence the boat itself generated in case some dumb student didn't take Valvatorez's warning seriously enough. Keeping the headphones on like he said was secretly part of the grade for the trip. But regardless of that, eventually a creature broke the surface of the ocean near the edge of the boat. She looked up at the ship, and seemingly recognized it in an instant... and Valvatorez recognized her in turn.
He smiled to her, rather warmly and genuinely, and waved to her. She returned the wave, before looking back down into the water and giving a hand signal to... creatures unseen below. She then looked back up at Valvatorez and gave a nod. At that point, he removed his headphones as the zone of silence deactivated... and sure enough, everything was fine. At that time, Valvatorez gave the specific hand signal to everyone that it was okay to remove their headphones.]
Ah, that's better. Precautionary measures, of course. Now then, class. I'd like to introduce you to someone. This is Queen Leucosia, ruler of the Sirens of the Myrtoan Sea, and a dear friend of mine. I expect you all to treat her with the respect that comes with it.
[Which is to say, mind your manners. Of course, Leucosia merely chuckles, and even before speaking, her voice carried with it almost an ethereal quality.]
Nonsense, Valvatorez. You know that I detest such... formality. [Now that she spoke, her voice was very unearthly in nature, one that was at the same time unbelievably pleasant to the ears, yet one that echoed through one's mind. Fortunately, like this, there was no magical enchantment or compulsion, but it wouldn't be far removed to say one could listen to her read a phone book and be almost enraptured by it. Still, she smiled, rather fondly and calmly.] You are looking well, still as stately as ever. I am quite happy to see you and your students again. ...A new batch this time, as always. You may all call me simply Leucosia. There are many stories surrounding us Sirens in your human mythology... some are true, others, less so. Know first that myself and my people are a race of aquatic Sirens, distantly related to the avian Sirens spoken of by Homer and many others.
Hmhm, and you are still as radiant as you ever were. [The vampire spoke fondly, but it was quite platonic, despite what it might've sounded like. Valvatorez's gaze set upon his students then.] You all may not be aware, but Sirens are actually a fairly diverse group of beings. They have similar patterns of operation, but live in different places. Avian and Sea Sirens are the most common, though... they are still quite rare on Earth.
Our kind are more abundant in the aquatic portions of the Outlands, so you would do well to use caution there. To you humans, our Song is practically irresistible, and can be incredibly dangerous if you are not well prepared. My people have long since eschewed using this Song to hunt humans, but we are one of the exceptions. Professor Valvatorez brought you here to learn from us first hand to learn about us, so you may better protect yourselves. As such, I will answer whatever questions you might have.
And remember, students... show the proper respect. You are addressing royalty, after all.
[Leucosia sighed, and shook her head.]
Please do not mind him. It is quite uncommon I get a chance to interact with surface dwellers like you all... so I would rather enjoy this time to talk.
[The visit with Queen Leucosia is quite long, between all the questions and conversations. It's quite easy to get carried away, given how easy she is to listen to. Eventually though, the ship will depart, and return to port where the students will be transported back to the Academy.]
[D]
[The wildcard. Feel free to speak to Valvatorez about anything seen today, or catch him when they finally return home.]
C
And being fine with it didn't stop her from feeling incredibly relieved when she saw the signal that it was okay to remove them. She tore the headphones off as quickly as she could and unceremoniously dropped them to the deck, then rubbed at the points of her ears after they snapped back into their usual shape.
When everything gets to the point where the students can ask questions, Desi remains quiet for much of the back-and-forth between Leucosia and the class, but eventually, she has a question of her own. Forgetting to consider that her classmates may not have figured out what her whole deal is, or deciding to just not care about that because really, just look at her, it's obvious enough already, she goes ahead and asks:]
Do the Song's effects differ between normal humans and those that are only partly human? [Desi is also totally not minding Valvatorez's insistence on formality, as requested. Isn't it respectful enough to speak to Leucosia the way she wants to be spoken to?]
no subject
Yes, though it depends what the other part is. Someone part Siren would be immune, rather logically, but if the other half is near-human, often they will be affected all the same. Even some Daemons are not immune to our song... though it seems Professor Valvatorez here isn't one of those so easily tempted.
[She smiles, in a rather subdued fashion, glancing back over to the vampire, who just has the faintest hint of a smirk tugging at his lips.]
The more magically powerful your other part is, the more likely you are to be able to resist our Song. Some magical races have unusual clarity of mind and resistance to charming or mind-altering things, and inheriting some of that would allow some resistance too.
...But we are known for being quite bewitching for a reason. Our kind are not frequently warriors, but there is a reason we do not have to be.
no subject
There isn't often much need for that when charms are involved. There are some families of Mages that focus on that particular sort of magic themselves, though the one that I come from isn't one of them. [Shadows and explosions are Desi's main thing, but that doesn't mean she has no awareness of—or capability to use—other kinds of magic.
Then another thought occurs to her.]
Ah, if I may ask another question: when faced with an enemy that is resistant or immune, how do you usually deal with that? [This is part of Valvatorez's Defense classes, and Leucosia herself even acknowledged that, so a follow-up question like this one was probably expected.]
no subject
Indeed, though human mages don't come to it quite as naturally as we do. Though, I suppose it would be unfair to compare.
But how we deal with enemies who are resistant to our Song? Typically, we resort to other forms of magic, if we know it. Like you, not all of us are especially skilled with it, but some of us know magic fairly well.
[As if to illustrate her point, she raises her hand out of the water; while each finger was tipped with a small claw, the real focus was on how she formed a sphere of water with great ease. Inside the globe, the water swirled with ease and actually looked quite pretty. The magic was definitely more for show than offense, but it proved a point.]
We also can fight back with martial weapons, but generally speaking it is safer for us to avoid a direct confrontation if the Song does not work.
[Valvatorez nodded along to this, and turned to Desidera himself.]
Avian Sirens are more likely to prefer defending themselves physically than using magic, but as far as many creatures go, they're not especially strong at it. Their bones tend to be fragile to facilitate flight, and modern human weapons are sufficient at bringing them down. There's a reason why you hear very little of them these days. One shouldn't underestimate them still, but there are far more threatening foes you could face once you neutralize their Song.
no subject
When Valvatorez speaks up, her attention turns over to him. Though it's not completely on-topic in regard to this particular trip, the mention of that difference between Sea and Avian has her wondering.]
Wouldn't the need for lighter weights make it difficult for them to use any sort of protection as well? [She's also imagining that extra weight could be a problem underwater as well, but then...if one is up against a Sea Siren and is actually in the water, that fight is probably all but lost anyway.]
no subject
Such a thing is more common amongst our kind, but even sea Sirens prefer the freedom of movement we have without something encumbering us.