Penpals and Social Networking

[Anthr4xus]

In an effort to help keep things streamlined, we can use this thread to coordinate relationship building between characters.

 

Here are the forty questions under Game Rules.  The first twenty are positive and the last twenty are negative.  Feel free to come up with your own questions as well, these are just intended as a jumping off point.

 

Relationship Questions - select at least two of the questions listed below to answer about your character and their relationships.

 

1. This character once protected you from something dangerous. What happened?
2. Why did you spend the summer at this character’s home instead of your own?
3. What amazing secret have you learned about this person that they haven’t told anyone else?
4. You and this character once cut class together. Why?
5. What spell did this character teach you that you’ve never forgotten?
6. This character has seen you at your worst. How did they help you overcome it?
7. How did this character stop a bad rumor about you from spreading?
8. How did this character cover for you when you made a big mistake?
9. How did this character stand up for you in your time of need?
10. This character reminds you of someone that you’ve recently lost or left behind. Who is it?
11. What wonderful, unforgettable experience did you and this character have together?
12. Why do you feel safest when this character is around?
13. What magical event did the two of you experience that nobody else believes happened?
14. You and this character first experienced something profoundly emotional together. What was it?
15. You share a common interest in something weird and non-magical. What is it?
16. What about this character do you admire that they don’t see in themselves?
17. You saw this character do something nice for someone without making it about them. What was it?
18. When did you realize you loved this character, either romantically or platonically?
19. You and this character have somewhere secret in the school you go to that you think only the two of you know about. Where is it?
20. What meaningful or important object did this character give you?

21. What spell did this character cast on you, intentionally or accidentally, that embarrassed you?
22. What secret do you need to keep from this character to protect yourself?
23. What magical object does this character have that you want to take from them?
24. When was the last time you betrayed this character?
25. What bad rumor have you heard about this character that you don’t think could possibly be true?
26. What rumor, either true or untrue, did this character start about you?
27. What ambition does this character have that scares you?
28. What part of this character’s personality scares you?
29. What is this character planning that you need to stop them from carrying out?
30. How is this character putting you both at risk of being kicked out?
31. What do both of you hate about the school?
32. What forbidden spell do you know this character has been researching?
33. What forbidden spell does this character know you’ve been researching?
34. Why won’t you be alone in a classroom with this character?
35. What curse has this character not fully recovered from yet?
36. During classes, what do you do to intentionally distract this character?
37. What aspect of your academic life is this character making more difficult?
38. You hurt this character years ago. Why can’t you apologize?
39. How far along are you in your plan to get this character removed from the school?
40. What’s the last thing you stole from this character?

[matt_s]

I rolled d20s and got these, will work through as I have time, of course feel free to veto if it conflicts with your vision of your character.

Azure: 2,23

Protection from something dangerous: Meera was studying with a few of the other first years under Ingwe's supervision (how he got volunteered for that, he still does not, but doing right by the younger students is always appreciated, he supposes). This of course involved a practical component where the new students tried brewing up a relatively simple healing draught. Unfortunately, one of the more experimentally minded students decided to "improv" a bit by mixing a few unknown ingredients together. Naturally, the first jar they opened was pyrophoric, and immediately conflagrated in a pillar of brilliant flame that only by quick action and a simple but effective shielding charm on behalf of Meera prevented a far worse outcome. A clear head in a crisis, that is certainly something Ingwe appreciates.

 

Magical Object of Envy: A curious rock, studded with prismatic crystals, that Meera happened to stumble upon and take an interest in when finding it by seeming chance on the ground. She showed it off to her fellow students one day, and Ingwe could tell at a first glance it was far more than meets the eye. A few crystal shavings to experiment with, a night's borrowing for study, surely that would cause no harm?

 

Nether: 20,31

Meaningful or Important Gift: An old chess piece, dark with wood stain and exquisitely detailed. Ingwe never had a mind for chess, but knows enough to appreciate the game and those who excel at it. Laila humored him with a game or two until it became clear that Ingwe in fact had little knowledge beyond the basic rules, and even that was probably spotty, and was very successfully seeking a new way to shirk homework and other important duties.

 

What do both hate about the school? Both Ingwe and Laila loathe underhandedness and dishonesty. Laila believes that people should excel by their own merits, while Ingwe freely acknowledges that slackers like him fully deserve the desiccated fruits of their lackadaisical labors. Cheating is one thing, but backstabbing and scheming is something that they truly hate. Life is tough enough without needing to keep an eye over your shoulder, says Ingwe, and although Laila focuses more on the virtues of honest competition, both are more or less on the same page. Ingwe came darn close to fighting an outright magical duel - wands were drawn and all -  in front of an entire potions class, professor and twenty-odd students in all, because some jerk decided to spike another's cauldron with an explosive mixture that not only ruined the unlucky student's examination but also sent boiling toxic magic froth splashing across the room. Some thought worse of him afterwards for that rash action, but Ingwe suspects Laila thought better.

 

 

 

Summer: 6,22

Bad rumor prevention/overcoming: People got all sorts of suspicions when Ingwe started spending time around the potions stockroom after hours. Was he tampering with supplies, siphoning them off for his own projects and profit (ok, that was actually true), or using it as an opportunity to change people's grades behind their backs? There was a lot of ugly talk among the younger students about the somewhat awkward upperclassman who seemed to care about potions and slacking off and little else, but Donna put a stop to it - they had worked together for a bit in the lab on different tasks, and had spent some time in idle conversation, with Ingwe's side projects coming up. She accepted his honest explanation, passed it along the line, and that was that.

Secret I need to hold tight: Ingwe is someone whose benevolence triumphs over common sense, and he occasionally will mix a magical elixir to cure the ailments of locals - mundane locals. Donna once saw him mixing a healing draught and cutting it with tea (herbal tea is a good way to pass off a medicinal remedy). When she inquired, Ingwe simply lied and said it was for a project for extra credit.  If the school found out, or The Authorities, then Ingwe's ongoing dalliance with academic mediocrity would be the least of his problems.

Phntm: 14,26

KingGoblin: 11,35

Edited July 8, 2022 by matt_s (see edit history)

[KingGoblin]

I went ahead and answered some questions in my thread, let me know if anyone doesn't like how I characterized their character.

[Azure Kestrel]

Ingwe - looks great to me!

Arthur - the same!

 

I'm re-posting my items below.  I can add more as other players show activity 🙂

 

1. This character once protected you from something dangerous. What happened?

Before she was discovered by Gwimmermort, Meera would browse the New Age and Occult section of bookstores. She found an old grimoire with spells, some of which worked.  However, experimenting with them was very dangerous - practitioner of the dark arts would leave traps in the books for the unsuspecting, letting others conduct their rituals for them.  Luckily Arthur Fichal not only happened to be in the bookstore; he recognized the book and followed her and stopped her from summoning a rather evil spirit - one with which Arthur was all too familiar.  

17. You saw this character do something nice for someone without making it about them. What was it?

(EDITED)  Meera and a gang of other first years went to Ingwe Garland for help on potions homework.  It was her first time meeting him.  He seemed nice for an upperclassman. She once stumbled on him holding a one-on-one tutoring session for this one senior named Tanner.  Tanner wasn't going to graduate without some help, and well, he hadn't always been 100% nice to Ingwe.  But Ingwe not only helped him, he never breathed a word of it to anyone.