Description: This course teaches students how to effectively recognize, pursue/subdue, and otherwise manipulate beasts of at least a size larger than they are to their advantage. Topics include a quick survey of common giant beasts, behavioral patterns, hands-on sessions with select beasts, and a myriad of tactics one can employ.
Expectations: By the course's end, students are expected to not only recognize beast types, but also be able to hypothesize the animal's likely behavioral response given a specific stimulus.
Grades: Will be comprised of two midterms and a final exam. Extra credit may be given for participation in regularly held sparring sessions.
Lectures(current week bolded): >>>>Week 0: Introduction >>>> Week 1: Beast Types and Recognizing Them >>>> ...
~~~
A dirt field a few meters beyond the forest's edge sits half-shaded under the lazy watch of bleachers. Thick white lines separate the area into sections, including a "safe box" between the seats and the arena, and a closer space for the more daring spectators. A range of terrain features litter the field, including boulders, pits, and the occasional greenery.
Today, nebulous swarms of what appear to be tiny white gnats patrol the field's boundaries, expanding and contracting to cover a larger area more sparsely or a smaller one in denser measure.
Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2015 4:53 pm
I've been waiting for a lifetime,
In the search for something real--
To turn up and save me,
From the empty and the loneliness inside...
August 29th, 1st Day of Class
>>>> Gradually, as the official start of class neared, so did silhouettes approach and voices waft in from the field's far side bordering the forest. Faint at first, then unmistakable--the murmurs of activity interspersed with light conversation.
"It's awfully quiet in there...." a man in a long white, red-accented, duster tossed a glance at the wooden crate the others were hauling behind them, his golden locks glinting in the sun. "I hope you didn't bring me a Kobold again, Nicolai; I'd like to start the school year off with something a little more interesting than a reptilian goblin this time." >>>>"Oh, don't worry--there's a gaseous sedative in there,"the man's companion assured, casting the other's worry aside with a wave of his hand. "Wanted to give you some lead time after seeing what you're up against and all, y'know." Leaning in, as if to divulge a secret, the burlier of the two grunted, "Just don't sniff that stuff yourself unless you fancy a visit to Mr. Deiderick in addition to being mauled."The rugged one's gruff chortle resounded across the relatively desolate field like an earthquake.
The groundskeeper's marred face turned a shade more serious as he eyed the comparatively lean professor at his side, however, voice steeped in what Leon had come to know as concern disguised as doubt, "'Xiros, you sure you got this?" >>>>Leon's silver sickles gave the other a sidelong look. "How many times have you had to haul my incapacitated behind to Leondardo's?" The lumberjack of a man hesitated, struggling to come up with some numbers. "Uhhh....Well.... There was that one time...." Nodding with feigned patience, Leon continued, "Uh huh. And in how many years?" >>>>After a moment's thought, begrudging defeat crawled across the other's face. "Touché. Well played, professor." They had come upon the field's center and, with the crew's load delivered, Nicolai looked about, scowling at the punctual students. >>>>"...that's why they hired you to teach, and not me."Once he was satisfied with his attempt to deter students from ever approaching him, Nicolai proceeded to give Leon a hearty pat on the back. "Well, let me know if you need anything. A second trip to the nurse, or anything like that, hahah." With a salute, the stout man left the professor to ponder the package and survey his students.
When I dream at night,
I can see where I belong--
So I'll close my eyes, I'll follow my feet, In hopes that somehow they'll take me home...
Status:vaguely curious, about his students and what 'they' got this time Setting:Training Grounds R9, center of the field with a mysterious crate
OOC>Giving people some time to file in, here.... No rush. ^_^
tl;dr> As class time nears, some activity can be seen on the far side of the field, closer to the forest and farther away from where the students normally sit. A small entourage led by Leon and the groundskeeper (Nicolai) approach to drop off a large, wooden crate for class. After some (revealing) banter, Nicolai leaves Leon to attend to his class.
Quoting with the characters signed up for this class, per Class Registration sheet, here for convenience.
-Rove-You-Baby-
Dreyar Percival Zellar
The_Little_Rabbit
Kegan Suen
Shiruke Ryu
Lev Vu
OMG its cia-yam
Lotti Blümstein
Alunary, I couldn't find your user or profile, so... Send me a note if you're still around and I can update the spreadsheets. Thanks!
~~~
Also, gossiping mention of Leondardo, the school nurse. ^_^;
xxxx"Photography for me is not looking, it’s feeling. If you can’t feel what you’re looking at, then you’re never going to get others to feel anything when they look at your pictures.” — Don McCullin
xxxxKegan had left the dorm and headed to class. Of course like always, his trusty camera was with him. He normally never went anywhere without it. Kegan on his way to class, kept to the shadows. After all, he wasn't one who really liked to interact with others. Animals on the other hand, he had quite a weakness for. This is why he was excited for the class he was going to now. The opportunity to learn about creatures he might not even know about and then to perhaps befriend them. After all, as far as he knew, the only beasts that couldn't be tamed were his brothers. Heh harsh blow...light joke~ Kegan was wondering what his teacher would be like as well. Did he share a passion for the class? Was he all about fighting? Kegan hoped not. Either way, he would show respect for that is what he had been taught.
Upon making it to the classroom he saw the note and blinked. Ah...I wonder what is planned if we are meeting at the grounds. Better hurry... With that, he was off to the grounds. Thankfully, it was not to far of a walk and Kegan had somewhat long legs. Finally he arrived at the grounds and looked around. Wow...it is bigger than I thought. He also noticed another important factor. It didn't seem as if anyone else was there yet. He squinted, was the teacher hiding? Or maybe not here yet. Well then again, he could be preparing for class. All these options. Kegan wanted to explore, but he knew better than that. You had to be careful around unknown areas. Kegan knew from experience that you had to be cautious for any unknown dangers to present themselves. Though, most things weren't really dangerous for Kegan. After all, he was practically a dragon. Though in secret he was also quite the pacifistic and really only wanted to result to violence if absolutely necessary.
[ Health ] 100% [ Mood ] Content [ Location ] Class
ooc: I finally wrote something xD Though your siggie always scares me. I'm not the best at grammar or spelling.
Lotti was glad she chose to wear sneakers instead of her usual high heels, why you may be thinking, because of the long walk it took to finally get to where this class was being hosted. Lotti signed up for this class mainly because her grandmother thought she should try more courses out, which is how she ended up in a class about magical beasts. Lotti didn't really consider herself a magical beast, other than changing shape during a full moon Lotti knew that most of her race was not usually the kind to do magic, unless they were some weird combo of a witch/wizard and werewolf, which did not really fit together in Lotti's mind. Needless to say when Lotti found that they would be outside for class she was a little confused, she thought that they'd only be learning from textbooks, were there demos, Lotti assumed that it would probably just be other students or staff that volunteered.
The female's wolf ears popped up as she heard noises coming from another direction, noticing a red haired male she quickly reverted her ears back, she hated that they would pop up if she heard a noise that made her curious or wary, she hoped that the male had not noticed though judging from his scent he was not human, smelt like something that had scales, though she could not detect what it was, probably because it was not a race she was familiar with.
She proceed to the bleachers as she then sat down in roughly the fourth row, pulling out her note book as she once again inhaled, she could smell what she thought was the teacher, but also a few other scents were in the mix, maybe previous people, or animals that had wandered around earlier today, but then again if smelt fresh. She frowned a little crossing her arms as she tried to think of an answer as to the scent, whatever it was she did not like it very much as she messed with a pen in her hand boredom quickly setting in as she hoped that class would hurry up and start, but from the lack of bodies on the bleachers Lotti assumed it would be a bit though. It was then Lotti noticed the two adult males in the field, she knew one was the teacher, and only assumed that the male leaving had been doing something, maybe relaying a message to the teacher, Lotti didn't really know nor did she care, as sigh passed her pale lips as she wondered when they would get to attendance and then talk about what this class was about, a part of Lotti hoped for some history about some races, mainly due to the school no longer providing history classes.
>>>> Hands clasped behind his back, legs shoulder-width apart, Leon surveyed his audience, his mind making idle guesses as to which species and what ancestral secrets each might've harbored. The melting pot of smells, mannerisms, and physical traits assured him he wasn't the only one whose civil form obscured his true self. What would they think, he mused, if they saw him in his full finery? That he was the subject of today's class? >>>>Probably run. Or try their hand at hunting you down, his inner cynic offered, evoking countless memories of fleeing masses and cocksure knights too arrogant to escape avoidable doom. There was a time, when mere mention of his kind would trigger the flight or fight response, but... There's this thing called diplomacy, now, his rational side dryly countered, only to be met with bitter resentment. You mean subjugation? What they call civil assimilation? His thoughts faded into pensive silence; both perspectives held a grain of truth and, when the councils had met to settle the matter, they had settled on the lesser of two evils, he supposed.
A glance at his pocket watch told him it was seven after, enough time for even those racing between back-to-back classes to get settled, or so school policy decreed. Clearing his throat, Leon addressed the class, "Simmer down, everyone. You can gossip about those cute colleagues from previous periods during lunch." He flashed his students a grin to denote the joke before continuing, "Hello, and welcome to Dragon's Den, where we'll be surveying giant beasts--seeing what makes them tick, discussing how best to take them down, and trying out said tactics in hands-on sessions."
An avid look went out to the masses. "If you're an extreme pacifist, or one of those tree-hugging radicals, you may want to reconsider taking this course." Here, he paused, listening to gauge general reactions. "The creatures we study are by no means sentient, as we know it, but..." His shoulders drooped in something of a casual shrug, his subsequent statement vaguely implying some past mishap, "...I'd really rather not have discussions about the 'rights' of savage goblins. That would be something to bring up in philosophy class." Just the thought of people arguing for soulless killing machines irked him. Why one would argue for a venomous viper who, upon release, will not hesitate to sink its fangs into your leg was beyond him. >>>>"Right. With that out of the way...." His gaze went to the crate sitting patiently in the middle of the field. "If you haven't already heard the rumors, the first specimen of the course is indeed whatever the upperclassmen hunting teams manage to subdue the weekend before. Makes things more interesting, I've found."...For me, anyway.
Leon gave the class his best 'don't worry' smile as he slipped a clawed bracer on over his left knuckles, securing it about his forearm and flexing to ensure appropriate tightness. "So long as you stay behind the white lines, you should be safe. The nanites--" his gaze went to the translucent haze patrolling the field's perimeter, "--should get any projectiles. As for me..." Here, his grin grew wry. "I've a record for staying alive that I intend to keep."
Gaze sweeping the bleachers, Leon rested his free hand on the butt of his whip. "Well then, questions before we begin?"
When I dream at night,
I can see where I belong--
So I'll close my eyes, I'll follow my feet, In hopes that somehow they'll take me home...
Status:raring to go, but open to questions Setting:Training Grounds R9, center of the field with a mysterious crate
OOC>w00t, posts! Those are always appreciated. ^_^ Don't be daunted by my siggy, Rabbit; it's more meant to give people pause about what they might be unconsciously(?) doing (hence its ironic title).
tl;dr> Leon muses on bits and pieces of the past while waiting for students to file in before calling class into session. He begins amiably with a short description of the course, a caveat, and a bit of explanation. Before they proceed any further, however, he pauses to take questions.
