VampirateMace
Internet Overlord
Prof. Gureshaw’s Midnight Course
RPG is up, but Sign-ups are still open!
RPG Tread
This is an RPG about balancing school responsibilities, friends, and magic. It’s also an attempt to fix the problems inherent to ‘Prof. Gureshaw’s Correspondence School of Magic’ such as getting everybody in the same place so being on the same timeline is less of a pain.
There will not be much wand waving or instant magic in this RPG. Unlike the first version I will allow each player a special instant magic technique (such as limited forms of telepathy, telekinesis, and mesmerization) to keep things more interesting, but most magic will require time and ingredients. The trick is to use you instant magic, obtain ingredients, and fulfill other requirements for more complex magic, without looking like a fruitcake.
So, this RPG has the following changes:
* The setting is limited to a boarding school, this keeps the players physically together, and encourage interaction.
* I will be announcing the current time in my posts, and you will be expected to keep up, including attending or consciously skipping your classes. People who don’t post regularly will be expelled from the class.
* Each player gets a bit of instant magic to keep things from getting too slow, but this magic is of a limited sort.
* Prof. Gureshaw will be physically present. This will give me more to post if things get slow, but it also provides the opportunity for there to actual be assignments. Also it means I can add mythical ingredients to the spells, which you will have to ask the teacher for, and he will probably question why you want it… have fun with that.
___
Plot
You are a teenager [13-18] who for some reason or other has recently been sent to a remote boarding school just outside some small town you’ve never heard of before. It could be that you were having some sort of trouble in a public school, or that your parents couldn’t handle your anti-authoritative behavior. It might also have been that they were busy with work, and didn’t have time to keep an eye on you. Whatever the reason, you are now stuck at Mrs. Leary’s Boarding School for Girls and Boys, with a whole year ahead of you… and there’s not even any cell service. You might consider running away, but there’s really nowhere to run to.
It’s your third night, a Wednesday, when you find a folded note on your pillow, sealed with a blob of purple wax stamped with a dragon. It is a short message on crisp parchment, that looks like it was produced with a typewriter:
Dear Student,
You are hereby cordially invited to attend Prof. Gureshaw’s Craft Course. Class starts promptly at midnight, Monday through Friday, and will be in room B 06.
That’s it, nothing more.
No one mentioned any craft class to you, and you’re fairly certain you haven’t heard of a Prof. Gureshaw. Not to mention, the time and room sound implausible, no class you know of starts later than 4:00 pm, and according to your student guide, the basement rooms haven’t been used for classes in over 15 years.
Actually, this kind of sounds like an incognito invitation to some activity that’s against school rules. Your mind shuffles through possibilities, maybe it’s a fight club? Perhaps it’s a ghost story society? Or it might even be one of those dirty clubs where they pass around a contraband magazine.
But try as you might, you can’t figure out what Prof. Gureshaw or Craft might stand for. The dragon seal is cool though.
Nevertheless, out of curiosity or boredom, you make your way down to the basement classroom at the appointed time. You keep an eye out for staff, just incase this is a trick. The room appears to have once been a science lab, and is empty save for a couple of cupboards and some permanent dissection/sink/burner tables.
Near the chalkboard at the front of the room stands a short man, slightly past middle age. He’s slightly overweight with a round face and an old style mustache that sweeps up to meet his hair. The hair itself is dark grey, long, and pulled into a ponytail. His embroidered vest suit is old in style, complete with a pocket watch chain hanging from the right pocket, and powder blue in color. A white button up shirt, and shiny black leather shoes complete his ensemble.
He welcomes the students in a soft friendly voice, that wouldn’t have sounded out of place in an even older man’s throat. Five minutes after midnight, he shuts the door and looks over the group of students, “Well then, suppose this is a good turn out. See, I’m Prof. Gureshaw, and every year I contact a select few promising students to take a special course… it’s not actually a credit course, and I’m sorry to disappoint you if you were expecting art, because the craft in question is witchcraft.”
At this point you might scoff or gasp in shock, but you realize it’s true when Prof. Gureshaw lifts an hand and snaps his fingers, because the cabinets to either side of the chalkboard open up reveling a wide assortment of old leather books, beat up caldrons, and ancient looking tools. He smiles pleasantly, “Well then students, anyone who is interested, can come select a spell book from one of the cabinets. It will be your personal spell book during this course, and if you pass, you may keep it. Chose wisely though, each spell book is unique… Anyone who isn’t interested, feel free to go back to bed, this’ll all be just a dream by morning.”
No one leaves. Who stuck in this dreary place, would give up the chance to make things far more interesting anyways?
You wait anxiously for a chance to examine the remaining spell books. Each one is old. Each on is beautiful. Each on is unique. As you run your fingers over the spines, you can feel what could only be described as a powerful charge. Each book’s charge feels different and at last your fingers come to rest on the spine of a book whose charge feels just right. You pluck it from the shelf and stare at the title-less cover, still able to feel it’s powerful magical charge in your hands. This is going to be the best school year ever…
___
Instant Magic Options:
You will not discover your instant magical ability until sometime after Prof. Gureshaw mentions them within the first class (though it may have had some effect on your past, such as seeing the occasional ghost or being good with animals), and it will slowly get stronger from there. I may accept other instant magic powers than those listed below, but have a back up plan from the ones listed incase I don’t. And, please no fire/water/earth/air/etc benders, though a more subtle/realistic elemental control may be allowed.
*Telepathy - Witches with telepathy have the ability to speak mentally with other witches. These witches will also have the ability to talk to their spell books telepathically.
*Wild Speech - This ability allows witches to communicate with plants and animals on a primal level. The communication is not as complex or specific as English, but it’s better than an average person’s guess about what an animal/plant wants/needs.
*Spirit Contact - Witches with this ability are able to see and speak with spirits (ghosts, fairies/elementals, angels, and demons) when they concentrate (via meditation, trance, or séance).
*Telekinesis - An ability that needs to be practiced cautiously, witches with telekinesis can move smaller objects (ones they could physically lift) with their minds. Of course the larger and heavier it is, the harder it will be to move. Liquids and powders are also more difficult to move.
*Mesmerization - Similar to Hypnosis, but without that science stuff getting in the way, witches with this ability are able to captivate someone’s full attention for a few seconds, and may even be able implant the simplest of ideas into their minds. Angry/Frustrated people and animals are far less susceptible to being mesmerized.
___
Notes on Spell Books:
Which spell book you receive will be based on your Sign-up and the answers to the Spell Book Selection Quiz in your Sign-up. Please answer these questions as your character honestly would. There are new spell books, and I may even make up a custom one for you if your characters and answers warrant it.
Each book has it’s own appearance, learned spell, and personality.
When looking up spells/subjects in your book, make note of what you’re looking for and I’ll provide the lists/text/spells, including the ingredients and requirements/procedures. Not all subjects will be in your book (though Prof. Gureshaw or another student with a different book may still be willing to help you), but others may have multiple entries.
Example:
PLAYER: …Aileena looked over at the book, “Show me a list of spells that use lemons.”
ME: A list of spells appeared on the blank page at the front of the book:
Pep-me-up lemonade
Witch’s Obsession
The Cat Claw Curse
Eat Nothing Sweet…
As long as you perform the spell according to the directions, I’ll leave the success rate and exact results up to your imagination.
___
Approved Players:
1. (VampirateMace) Prof. Gureshaw [Telekinesis]
2. (Food Guy) Diego D. aka DD [Green Thumb]
3. (DVB) Diego V. [Spirit Contact]
4. (Mon1010) Leonardo, aka Leo [Mesmerization]
5. (Billy Mays) Xavier [Telepathy]
6. (CandleReaper) Cameron [Spirit Contact]
7. (SenorLaughsaLot) Lucas [Spirit Contact]
8. (Flame Mistress) Evleen [Wild Speech]
9. (Balightning) Ethan [Psychometry]
10. (Jean Grey) Lovina [Mesmerization]
11. (TheSketchQueen) Chase [Spirit Contact]
12.
Sign-up Form
Name:
Age:
Gender:
Instant Magic Ability:
Lifetime Goal/Dream:
Greatest Fear/Nightmare:
Appearance:
+ 8 sentences
Personality:
+ 8 sentences
History:
+ 8 sentences
Spell Book Selection Quiz:
(answer these as your character would)
1. What’s your favorite color?
2. You see a penny (1 cent) the street, what do you do?
3. You see Penny (class clown) on the street, what do you do?
4. It’s free painting time in art class, what do you paint?
5. Do you think you’ll learn more from the book, or more from the Professor?
___
Me!!!
Name: Prof. Jonathan G. Gureshaw
Age: Unknown, he appears to be in his 50s or 60s
Gender: Male
Instant Magic Ability: Telekinesis - The Prof tends to make a show of the smaller stuff, snapping is fingers and such, which can start to look cheesy, but he really is at an advanced level for this ability.
Lifetime Goal/Dream: To find a student worthy of being his apprentice…
Greatest Fear/Nightmare: Currently, it’s being confronted by the Dean if he’s discovered to be in the school…
Appearance:
Prof. Gureshaw is an older man, somewhat round, and somewhat short. His complexion is a tinge red, having seen better days, and his round face has numerous small wrinkles. His eyes are a soft blue that almost matches the color of his signature vest suit, and his hair is a dark shade of grey. The hair itself is long and pulled up into a neat ponytail. For facial hair he has a big woolly mustache that creeps up to meet his sideburns in a old fashioned style, and plentiful bushy eyebrows.
For clothes he wears an old styled vest suit. It’s powder blue in color and decorated with embroidery, mostly small dark blue flowers and green leaves. Under this he wears a white button up shirt. Additionally he wears a black leather belt and shiny black leather shoes, and carries a gold pocket watch.
Personality:
Gureshaw is a kind man, slow to anger, and patient with his students. He’ll repeat lectures and provide extra reading material to students who are willing to ask. But there is a limit to his patients, and students that fail to make enough progress lose their spell books and memories of the class, at the end of the year. Students who fail won’t even remember the friends they’ve made in class if they never meet them outside of class and class homework.
He also craves attention. This leads to a bit of showmanship where demonstrating powers is concerned. It also affects the amount of care that goes into his personal appearance. He may not be the prettiest guy to look at, but he is well groomed. This craving also makes him susceptible to flattery as well. So, a student skilled at sucking up might be able scratch up enough extra credit points to pass even if they’ve failed almost all the assignments so far.
There are some kinds of attention he doesn’t want however, in particular, he dreads the thought of the Dean finding him and the chaos that would inevitably follow.
History:
Gureshaw is older than he appears. In his youth he studied with a great witch who gave him his first spell book. Over the years he’s collect many more books and learned a great many spells, including magic far too advanced for most witches. He knows however, that he can’t live forever. Would if he could, but the price of the alchemist’s stone isn’t something the nice old man could bear having on his conscious. So he’s decided to divide the majority of his spell books among emerging witches, reserving the most powerful and advanced books for the one that will be his apprentice.
He’s come to Mrs. Leary’s Boarding School in hopes of finding a suitable apprentice, a gifted student powerful and intelligent enough to learn more advanced magic by his side and someday inherit his most advanced spell book, Opalescence. It’s been several years since he started his search, but teaching classes of lower level witches while he waits has been a reward of it’s own. He’s here secretly however, and none of the other staff are aware of him, so most of them suspect the name Prof. Grueshaw is some sort of joke the older students play on the newer ones every year.
Spell book:
Opalescence (White leather cover, silver and opal corners - Large cursive typeset)
RPG is up, but Sign-ups are still open!
RPG Tread
This is an RPG about balancing school responsibilities, friends, and magic. It’s also an attempt to fix the problems inherent to ‘Prof. Gureshaw’s Correspondence School of Magic’ such as getting everybody in the same place so being on the same timeline is less of a pain.
There will not be much wand waving or instant magic in this RPG. Unlike the first version I will allow each player a special instant magic technique (such as limited forms of telepathy, telekinesis, and mesmerization) to keep things more interesting, but most magic will require time and ingredients. The trick is to use you instant magic, obtain ingredients, and fulfill other requirements for more complex magic, without looking like a fruitcake.
So, this RPG has the following changes:
* The setting is limited to a boarding school, this keeps the players physically together, and encourage interaction.
* I will be announcing the current time in my posts, and you will be expected to keep up, including attending or consciously skipping your classes. People who don’t post regularly will be expelled from the class.
* Each player gets a bit of instant magic to keep things from getting too slow, but this magic is of a limited sort.
* Prof. Gureshaw will be physically present. This will give me more to post if things get slow, but it also provides the opportunity for there to actual be assignments. Also it means I can add mythical ingredients to the spells, which you will have to ask the teacher for, and he will probably question why you want it… have fun with that.
___
Plot
You are a teenager [13-18] who for some reason or other has recently been sent to a remote boarding school just outside some small town you’ve never heard of before. It could be that you were having some sort of trouble in a public school, or that your parents couldn’t handle your anti-authoritative behavior. It might also have been that they were busy with work, and didn’t have time to keep an eye on you. Whatever the reason, you are now stuck at Mrs. Leary’s Boarding School for Girls and Boys, with a whole year ahead of you… and there’s not even any cell service. You might consider running away, but there’s really nowhere to run to.
It’s your third night, a Wednesday, when you find a folded note on your pillow, sealed with a blob of purple wax stamped with a dragon. It is a short message on crisp parchment, that looks like it was produced with a typewriter:
Dear Student,
You are hereby cordially invited to attend Prof. Gureshaw’s Craft Course. Class starts promptly at midnight, Monday through Friday, and will be in room B 06.
That’s it, nothing more.
No one mentioned any craft class to you, and you’re fairly certain you haven’t heard of a Prof. Gureshaw. Not to mention, the time and room sound implausible, no class you know of starts later than 4:00 pm, and according to your student guide, the basement rooms haven’t been used for classes in over 15 years.
Actually, this kind of sounds like an incognito invitation to some activity that’s against school rules. Your mind shuffles through possibilities, maybe it’s a fight club? Perhaps it’s a ghost story society? Or it might even be one of those dirty clubs where they pass around a contraband magazine.
But try as you might, you can’t figure out what Prof. Gureshaw or Craft might stand for. The dragon seal is cool though.
Nevertheless, out of curiosity or boredom, you make your way down to the basement classroom at the appointed time. You keep an eye out for staff, just incase this is a trick. The room appears to have once been a science lab, and is empty save for a couple of cupboards and some permanent dissection/sink/burner tables.
Near the chalkboard at the front of the room stands a short man, slightly past middle age. He’s slightly overweight with a round face and an old style mustache that sweeps up to meet his hair. The hair itself is dark grey, long, and pulled into a ponytail. His embroidered vest suit is old in style, complete with a pocket watch chain hanging from the right pocket, and powder blue in color. A white button up shirt, and shiny black leather shoes complete his ensemble.
He welcomes the students in a soft friendly voice, that wouldn’t have sounded out of place in an even older man’s throat. Five minutes after midnight, he shuts the door and looks over the group of students, “Well then, suppose this is a good turn out. See, I’m Prof. Gureshaw, and every year I contact a select few promising students to take a special course… it’s not actually a credit course, and I’m sorry to disappoint you if you were expecting art, because the craft in question is witchcraft.”
At this point you might scoff or gasp in shock, but you realize it’s true when Prof. Gureshaw lifts an hand and snaps his fingers, because the cabinets to either side of the chalkboard open up reveling a wide assortment of old leather books, beat up caldrons, and ancient looking tools. He smiles pleasantly, “Well then students, anyone who is interested, can come select a spell book from one of the cabinets. It will be your personal spell book during this course, and if you pass, you may keep it. Chose wisely though, each spell book is unique… Anyone who isn’t interested, feel free to go back to bed, this’ll all be just a dream by morning.”
No one leaves. Who stuck in this dreary place, would give up the chance to make things far more interesting anyways?
You wait anxiously for a chance to examine the remaining spell books. Each one is old. Each on is beautiful. Each on is unique. As you run your fingers over the spines, you can feel what could only be described as a powerful charge. Each book’s charge feels different and at last your fingers come to rest on the spine of a book whose charge feels just right. You pluck it from the shelf and stare at the title-less cover, still able to feel it’s powerful magical charge in your hands. This is going to be the best school year ever…
___
Instant Magic Options:
You will not discover your instant magical ability until sometime after Prof. Gureshaw mentions them within the first class (though it may have had some effect on your past, such as seeing the occasional ghost or being good with animals), and it will slowly get stronger from there. I may accept other instant magic powers than those listed below, but have a back up plan from the ones listed incase I don’t. And, please no fire/water/earth/air/etc benders, though a more subtle/realistic elemental control may be allowed.
*Telepathy - Witches with telepathy have the ability to speak mentally with other witches. These witches will also have the ability to talk to their spell books telepathically.
*Wild Speech - This ability allows witches to communicate with plants and animals on a primal level. The communication is not as complex or specific as English, but it’s better than an average person’s guess about what an animal/plant wants/needs.
*Spirit Contact - Witches with this ability are able to see and speak with spirits (ghosts, fairies/elementals, angels, and demons) when they concentrate (via meditation, trance, or séance).
*Telekinesis - An ability that needs to be practiced cautiously, witches with telekinesis can move smaller objects (ones they could physically lift) with their minds. Of course the larger and heavier it is, the harder it will be to move. Liquids and powders are also more difficult to move.
*Mesmerization - Similar to Hypnosis, but without that science stuff getting in the way, witches with this ability are able to captivate someone’s full attention for a few seconds, and may even be able implant the simplest of ideas into their minds. Angry/Frustrated people and animals are far less susceptible to being mesmerized.
___
Notes on Spell Books:
Which spell book you receive will be based on your Sign-up and the answers to the Spell Book Selection Quiz in your Sign-up. Please answer these questions as your character honestly would. There are new spell books, and I may even make up a custom one for you if your characters and answers warrant it.
Each book has it’s own appearance, learned spell, and personality.
When looking up spells/subjects in your book, make note of what you’re looking for and I’ll provide the lists/text/spells, including the ingredients and requirements/procedures. Not all subjects will be in your book (though Prof. Gureshaw or another student with a different book may still be willing to help you), but others may have multiple entries.
Example:
PLAYER: …Aileena looked over at the book, “Show me a list of spells that use lemons.”
ME: A list of spells appeared on the blank page at the front of the book:
Pep-me-up lemonade
Witch’s Obsession
The Cat Claw Curse
Eat Nothing Sweet…
As long as you perform the spell according to the directions, I’ll leave the success rate and exact results up to your imagination.
___
Approved Players:
1. (VampirateMace) Prof. Gureshaw [Telekinesis]
2. (Food Guy) Diego D. aka DD [Green Thumb]
3. (DVB) Diego V. [Spirit Contact]
4. (Mon1010) Leonardo, aka Leo [Mesmerization]
5. (Billy Mays) Xavier [Telepathy]
6. (CandleReaper) Cameron [Spirit Contact]
7. (SenorLaughsaLot) Lucas [Spirit Contact]
8. (Flame Mistress) Evleen [Wild Speech]
9. (Balightning) Ethan [Psychometry]
10. (Jean Grey) Lovina [Mesmerization]
11. (TheSketchQueen) Chase [Spirit Contact]
12.
Sign-up Form
Name:
Age:
Gender:
Instant Magic Ability:
Lifetime Goal/Dream:
Greatest Fear/Nightmare:
Appearance:
+ 8 sentences
Personality:
+ 8 sentences
History:
+ 8 sentences
Spell Book Selection Quiz:
(answer these as your character would)
1. What’s your favorite color?
2. You see a penny (1 cent) the street, what do you do?
3. You see Penny (class clown) on the street, what do you do?
4. It’s free painting time in art class, what do you paint?
5. Do you think you’ll learn more from the book, or more from the Professor?
___
Me!!!
Name: Prof. Jonathan G. Gureshaw
Age: Unknown, he appears to be in his 50s or 60s
Gender: Male
Instant Magic Ability: Telekinesis - The Prof tends to make a show of the smaller stuff, snapping is fingers and such, which can start to look cheesy, but he really is at an advanced level for this ability.
Lifetime Goal/Dream: To find a student worthy of being his apprentice…
Greatest Fear/Nightmare: Currently, it’s being confronted by the Dean if he’s discovered to be in the school…
Appearance:
Prof. Gureshaw is an older man, somewhat round, and somewhat short. His complexion is a tinge red, having seen better days, and his round face has numerous small wrinkles. His eyes are a soft blue that almost matches the color of his signature vest suit, and his hair is a dark shade of grey. The hair itself is long and pulled up into a neat ponytail. For facial hair he has a big woolly mustache that creeps up to meet his sideburns in a old fashioned style, and plentiful bushy eyebrows.
For clothes he wears an old styled vest suit. It’s powder blue in color and decorated with embroidery, mostly small dark blue flowers and green leaves. Under this he wears a white button up shirt. Additionally he wears a black leather belt and shiny black leather shoes, and carries a gold pocket watch.
Personality:
Gureshaw is a kind man, slow to anger, and patient with his students. He’ll repeat lectures and provide extra reading material to students who are willing to ask. But there is a limit to his patients, and students that fail to make enough progress lose their spell books and memories of the class, at the end of the year. Students who fail won’t even remember the friends they’ve made in class if they never meet them outside of class and class homework.
He also craves attention. This leads to a bit of showmanship where demonstrating powers is concerned. It also affects the amount of care that goes into his personal appearance. He may not be the prettiest guy to look at, but he is well groomed. This craving also makes him susceptible to flattery as well. So, a student skilled at sucking up might be able scratch up enough extra credit points to pass even if they’ve failed almost all the assignments so far.
There are some kinds of attention he doesn’t want however, in particular, he dreads the thought of the Dean finding him and the chaos that would inevitably follow.
History:
Gureshaw is older than he appears. In his youth he studied with a great witch who gave him his first spell book. Over the years he’s collect many more books and learned a great many spells, including magic far too advanced for most witches. He knows however, that he can’t live forever. Would if he could, but the price of the alchemist’s stone isn’t something the nice old man could bear having on his conscious. So he’s decided to divide the majority of his spell books among emerging witches, reserving the most powerful and advanced books for the one that will be his apprentice.
He’s come to Mrs. Leary’s Boarding School in hopes of finding a suitable apprentice, a gifted student powerful and intelligent enough to learn more advanced magic by his side and someday inherit his most advanced spell book, Opalescence. It’s been several years since he started his search, but teaching classes of lower level witches while he waits has been a reward of it’s own. He’s here secretly however, and none of the other staff are aware of him, so most of them suspect the name Prof. Grueshaw is some sort of joke the older students play on the newer ones every year.
Spell book:
Opalescence (White leather cover, silver and opal corners - Large cursive typeset)
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