Session 1: Orientation

Today is finally the day! I finally get to join the Magaambya! I have no idea what to expect, so I’ve packed light. There will be student housing, but anything beyond the basic necessities I’ll get later, so that I’m not too packed. Can’t go without at least one book though.

That was exhausting, meeting so many new people on the same day. Teacher Ot was our first teacher, and while it helped that I already know him, he immediately started with a first introductory lesson. I’m not sure what to think about getting the first lesson outside during a rainstorm. Yes it was in a gazebo and we had a roof, but everything was wet and damp and just ugh! Not a good sign.
We’re in a dormitory together with another cohort, oh right, the cohort. It seems everybody who joined at the same time is lumped together into something called a cohort. Those are the people you’ll have most of your lessons with. Though looking at the previous cohort you don’t necessarily have to be on good terms with everybody.

My cohort:

• Faran, a male elf, focused a lot on his sword. It was easy to see that that was the thing that mattered most to him by the size of the room he chose.
• Matuas, an adult human male, he was a bit jittery and seems to be afraid of his own power, but all-in-all a good person, I think I’ll like him.
• Rib, a young male kolo, who was sent here by the spirit of his great-aunt who still resides in her skull, which he brought with him. The first thing he did when he met everyone was to shake off all the rain so that everybody else got wet. Really inconsiderate!

But, Teacher Ot’s lesson was good. I can’t do everything myself, and finding the right people with the right skills that I’m missing will elevate the group to a sum greater than all the separate parts together.

My eyes! And cheeks! I’m glad I’m back in my room again and that I have fur so they don’t immediately see me blushing so much. How do ancestries without fur deal with that, it looks so inconvenient. But, how to describe what happened… Rib was naked! No, not fully naked. He took the time to grab a couple of belts with knick-knacks, his great-aunt, and his sword. But forgot about underwear or anything else to cover his reproductive organs. I’m glad we can count on his help, but aargh!
Luckily Faran was there when we ran into some spellskeins hiding out as towels. His swordmagic is impressive and he killed a spellskein in one blow. I tried to get the other spellskein to understand we’re not invaders but new inhabitants, but got my legs lacerated as a reward for trying to be friendly. Afterwards I found out Matuas has an amazing ability! He can get food from another plane that will heal all wounds incurred in battle. Just wow!

Before I forget and go to sleep after this long first day, we’re getting glass beads from every instance or person we’re associated with in the Magaambya, and have to wear them stringed as a necklace or a bracelet.

• Teacher Ot: a blue bead and a yellow bead
• Spire dormitory: a transparent bead with a sunburst in it
• Dining hall: in the shape of a fruit
• Campus inventory: tan bead in the shape of a bulging sack

And they told us that all other teachers will also give out glass beads.
For the guy at the Campus inventory I also had to quickly design a bead of my own from clay. I chose to make a leaf with the main nerve in the form of a cat’s eye. Not sure if this will be my final design, but for now it feels right.
And the cook has some side jobs that can be done for money, if research gets too expensive. But let's focus on the lesson tomorrow first!

Second day at the Magaambya. This was our first exercise given out by one of the university’s factions, the Rain Scribes (Haibram, Anchor Root). We had to find a moving black market in Nantambu, and buy some little chicks of a rare variety. It made sense to have us do it, because the black market supposedly does not like the Magaambya, and since we’re not yet known to be associated we have a much better chance. We were able to save all 6 little chickens the seller had for sale and bring them back. I’m very happy with that and hope they’ll grow up strong and make lots of new baby chickens!