Valvatorez (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
arcadianvampire) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
daybreakacademy2019-09-29 02:20 pm
arcadianvampire) wrote in daybreakacademy2019-09-29 02:20 pm
A Heavy Burden, A Heavy Subject (2 days after the Lunar Harvest)
Class Time
[Following the immediate aftermath of the night of the Hunt, Valvatorez knew there would be... questions. A great many questions. There wasn't much time to rest, and after the first day of introduction had been completed, the second day of class would be used to make a statement about the Lunar Harvest. He anticipated this would not be an easy class, but he stood ready to teach it.
Fortunately, a couple of days was enough time for Valvatorez to pull himself together and look like his usual self.]
All right, class. I understand there is still considerable tension in the wake of what happened a couple of nights ago. I shall now endeavor to explain what it was, who caused it, what effects it had on people, and what can be done in the future. Rest assured, the danger is passed, and we are back to operating as normal. Further steps are being discussed to prevent this unprecedented incident from occurring again.
The Lunar Harvest is a phenomena of Fae origin, led by a powerful fae-creature called the Lord of the Hunt. ...Some of you may have witnessed him. A vicious looking humanoid with one glowing eye, a horned antler helmet, clad in bloodied furs and hides, riding a dark shade of a horse. His "Call" is an extremely potent mind-affecting magic that appeals directly to one's instinctual self; and it can have many varying levels of effect on any sentient being, living or dead. It calls those to whom it reaches to throw themselves into their baser, wilder nature that is often predatory. Sometimes it fails, and inspires the fear of being a prey animal in others. Other times, it just simply gives an individual a feeling of foreboding, and looming dread.
It can cause massive shifts in personalities and world views. Even the most durable of individuals can find this particular fae-charm difficult to resist, to the point that wards against it have to be specifically designed.
You may be asking then, why was the campus not warded against it?
Simply put, the Lunar Harvest has never been this overt. Usually, as many Hunters will tell you, it strikes in rural areas, away from the eye of most individuals. Stories of this great hunt are usually made into local legends, usually expanding no further than villages, or perhaps a small towns. This is the first time that we are aware of that such an event struck this close to larger population centers. To call this a more high profile escalation of the event is perhaps understating just how unprecedented it is. Going forward, you can expect Daybreak's security to be even further bolstered. The staff will be meeting about it with proposals very soon, and action will be taken following that.
We have not yet discovered what emboldened the Lord of the Hunt to be this aggressive. There are only theories and conjecture at this time. But I do not believe any of you here are stupid; and I believe the obvious hypothesis is the one closest to the truth. Knowing that, it will be all the more imperative that the material in this class be digested and internalized.
As such, I will be adding malicious fae to the list of things we will be studying here. Lessons will likely be accelerated in their intensity from here on. I will be handing out updated syllabi for the new course load on Monday. For now, follow what I handed out, and given this class will get more intense, I encourage all of you to make use of office hours if you need them. Additionally, I will be providing more in-depth study guides to help you along. I understand I already push the lot of you a great deal... so I do not believe it to be fair to put more pressure on you without also trying to alleviate the worst of it.
Do not slack off, however. Study guides will only help you if you put in the time to make good use of them. They will not give you all the answers. Make sure you follow through and put in the effort.
[Valvatorez will then spend the rest of the period discussing the specifics of the Lunar Harvest, and will open the floor to questions afterward.]
Office Hours
[As usual, Valvatorez's office is open for people to visit him after class. The hours seem to have been expanded too, allowing for more time. However, what's different this time is that Valvatorez's office is decidedly much more bare than normal. A replacement temporary desk, chairs, and bookcases are in his room, and his beloved fish tank has one of its panels completely removed. The tank is empty and lifeless. Most of the bookcases are currently empty, but some of the most essential works still remain. It actually looks... lifeless, compared to Valvatorez's normally extra looking abode. The one thing that still appears normal, though... is that singing bass, still hanging on the wall as if nothing happened.]
Network Post, Locked to Faculty
Once matters surrounding upgrading Daybreak's security are settled, I propose a night out. Or in. The lot of us need more teambuilding after what happened.
[Read: We all need to get together, have a good time, and optionally get drunk.]
[Following the immediate aftermath of the night of the Hunt, Valvatorez knew there would be... questions. A great many questions. There wasn't much time to rest, and after the first day of introduction had been completed, the second day of class would be used to make a statement about the Lunar Harvest. He anticipated this would not be an easy class, but he stood ready to teach it.
Fortunately, a couple of days was enough time for Valvatorez to pull himself together and look like his usual self.]
All right, class. I understand there is still considerable tension in the wake of what happened a couple of nights ago. I shall now endeavor to explain what it was, who caused it, what effects it had on people, and what can be done in the future. Rest assured, the danger is passed, and we are back to operating as normal. Further steps are being discussed to prevent this unprecedented incident from occurring again.
The Lunar Harvest is a phenomena of Fae origin, led by a powerful fae-creature called the Lord of the Hunt. ...Some of you may have witnessed him. A vicious looking humanoid with one glowing eye, a horned antler helmet, clad in bloodied furs and hides, riding a dark shade of a horse. His "Call" is an extremely potent mind-affecting magic that appeals directly to one's instinctual self; and it can have many varying levels of effect on any sentient being, living or dead. It calls those to whom it reaches to throw themselves into their baser, wilder nature that is often predatory. Sometimes it fails, and inspires the fear of being a prey animal in others. Other times, it just simply gives an individual a feeling of foreboding, and looming dread.
It can cause massive shifts in personalities and world views. Even the most durable of individuals can find this particular fae-charm difficult to resist, to the point that wards against it have to be specifically designed.
You may be asking then, why was the campus not warded against it?
Simply put, the Lunar Harvest has never been this overt. Usually, as many Hunters will tell you, it strikes in rural areas, away from the eye of most individuals. Stories of this great hunt are usually made into local legends, usually expanding no further than villages, or perhaps a small towns. This is the first time that we are aware of that such an event struck this close to larger population centers. To call this a more high profile escalation of the event is perhaps understating just how unprecedented it is. Going forward, you can expect Daybreak's security to be even further bolstered. The staff will be meeting about it with proposals very soon, and action will be taken following that.
We have not yet discovered what emboldened the Lord of the Hunt to be this aggressive. There are only theories and conjecture at this time. But I do not believe any of you here are stupid; and I believe the obvious hypothesis is the one closest to the truth. Knowing that, it will be all the more imperative that the material in this class be digested and internalized.
As such, I will be adding malicious fae to the list of things we will be studying here. Lessons will likely be accelerated in their intensity from here on. I will be handing out updated syllabi for the new course load on Monday. For now, follow what I handed out, and given this class will get more intense, I encourage all of you to make use of office hours if you need them. Additionally, I will be providing more in-depth study guides to help you along. I understand I already push the lot of you a great deal... so I do not believe it to be fair to put more pressure on you without also trying to alleviate the worst of it.
Do not slack off, however. Study guides will only help you if you put in the time to make good use of them. They will not give you all the answers. Make sure you follow through and put in the effort.
[Valvatorez will then spend the rest of the period discussing the specifics of the Lunar Harvest, and will open the floor to questions afterward.]
Office Hours
[As usual, Valvatorez's office is open for people to visit him after class. The hours seem to have been expanded too, allowing for more time. However, what's different this time is that Valvatorez's office is decidedly much more bare than normal. A replacement temporary desk, chairs, and bookcases are in his room, and his beloved fish tank has one of its panels completely removed. The tank is empty and lifeless. Most of the bookcases are currently empty, but some of the most essential works still remain. It actually looks... lifeless, compared to Valvatorez's normally extra looking abode. The one thing that still appears normal, though... is that singing bass, still hanging on the wall as if nothing happened.]
Network Post, Locked to Faculty
Once matters surrounding upgrading Daybreak's security are settled, I propose a night out. Or in. The lot of us need more teambuilding after what happened.
[Read: We all need to get together, have a good time, and optionally get drunk.]
no subject
Ah, Desidera. ...I had a strong feeling you would be coming in today.
[He hesitates for but a moment, for the door to close. It's not hard to figure what she's here about at all.]
...Are you holding up all right?
no subject
[Though, if Valvatorez can recall, among those who had gotten fully caught-up in the hunt, nobody whose description was a match for Desidera had been there, which would tell him that she had somehow managed to keep herself out of it. Though she did have some assistance, it probably says something about how much of an effort she's been putting toward staying in control.]
no subject
Understandable. The sort of mental attack the Lord of the Hunt can produce is extremely potent and can be painfully exhausting. Much like the adrenal crash following a "flight or fight" instinct. ...Intentional, I am certain.
[Still, he raised an eyebrow at the thought that her training might not be enough.]
So you're concerned you could be doing more, or you want me to increase the intensity of our sessions? I would advise against pushing too hard, even if you are in a hurry. Mastery takes time, not just hard work.
no subject
Mental exercises of some kind, maybe? [This might delve just slightly into personal stuff, but since it's relevant, maybe he'll allow the question to be asked.] Maybe it won't apply to me, or maybe just not entirely, but what sort of things do you do to stop yourself from slipping when you feel yourself start to?
no subject
I think the answer to that is... quite overt.
[Referring to his office being but a shadow of its former self. Still, the vampire shakes his head and slowly blinks, as he gives a more appropriate answer.]
Though the events of the Lunar Harvest are... an anomaly. In most circumstances, I consume sardines, and either put my mind to work on something productive, or think back to the reason why I stopped drinking human blood in the first place.
Relief, or at the very least, resolve, often comes from those things.
no subject
It sounds like there's a story to tell with that last part of his answer, but it's nothing she'll be asking about.]
Ah. So, finding other things to focus on to try to push back against it. That's part of what I had tried to do, actually. It was...quite difficult, at times. [The talk with Gunvolt, the exchange with Héctor over the network, both had been deliberate attempts to keep herself distracted.
It seems that maybe she's already had the right idea.]
no subject
[He folded his hands in front of him, seemingly more at ease now.]
It takes practice and time... but if you managed to resist your urges as it is, you sound like you are already well on your way. If it isn't too personal, what did you do?
no subject
GV was in our room when everything started, so we started talking through the door a lot— [About subjects that she could easily focus on, too.] —and he put a ward on the room to make sure I couldn't get out if things got worse. He did it because I told him to.
There were some people I talked to on the network too, but it...took some effort to not break my phone in the process.