A Traveler's Guide to Hyrule; Thursday, First Period [09/30].

[in_sidon_we_trust]

"Good morning, everyone!" Sidon greeted the class with his usual brightness and excitement, grinning eagerly at his students as if he just couldn't wait to get into the topic of the day. "I hope you've had a fantastic week! It was so wonderful to get a chance to meet your sister, as well, Alara," he added with a laugh and a nod of acknowledgement to her assuming she was there, "and now, we're moving onto the part of this class where you'll get to meet some new and interesting people as well, because we are going to start diving into the various different races you'll find around my fair land, and today, we shall begin with Hylians!

( My, what big ears you have! )

With that, Sidon concluded his lecture and turned to the students with another grin. "And so that," he declared, "is the very basics of Hylians! Please, let me know if you have any questions, curiousities, or would like me to elaborate on anything said here today! One can barely be a traveler of Hyrule and not run into a Hylian at every turn, so they are, in a sense, the very backbone of Hyrule and are a wonderful group of people to know!"

World Mythology, Thursday, Period 3

[atreideslioness]

When the students arrived that day, they'd find the table along the back wall held plenty of juice boxes, granola, and yogurt, and Ghanima was dressed very informally, in a basic Fremen tunic and pants, with her hair in a myriad of braids.

"Some of you had an eventful weekend last week, so we'll be topical today. Therefore, we are going to touch on the Romans, and look at the tale of Romulus and Remus."

"Plutarch presents Romulus and Remus' ancient descent from prince Aeneas, fugitive from Troy after its destruction by the Greeks. Their maternal grandfather is his descendant Numitor, who inherits the kingship of Alba Longa. Numitor's brother Amulius inherits its treasury, including the gold brought by Aeneas from Troy. Amulius uses his control of the treasury to dethrone Numitor, but fears that Numitor's daughter, Rhea Silvia will bear children who could overthrow him, so Amulius forces Rhea Silvia to perpetual virginity as a Vestal priestess."

"She ends up having children anyway, of course, since that's how mythology and prophecy usually goes, although different versions present different fathers, the most common being the god Mars, and the other Hercules. The king sees his niece's pregnancy and confines her. She gives birth to twin boys of remarkable beauty; her uncle orders her death and theirs. One account holds that he has Rhea buried alive – the standard punishment for Vestal Virgins who violated their vow of celibacy – and orders the death of the twins by exposure; both means would avoid his direct blood-guilt. In another, he has Rhea and her twins thrown into the River Tiber. In either event, in every version, a servant is charged with the deed of killing the twins, but cannot bring himself to harm them. He places them in a basket and leaves it on the banks of the Tiber. The river rises in flood and carries the twins downstream, unharmed."

"The river deity Tiberinus made the basket catch in the roots of a fig tree that grows in the Velabrum swamp at the base of the Palatine Hill. The twins were found and raised by a she-wolf until a shepherd of Amulius named Faustulus discoverd them and takes them to his hut, where he and his wife Acca Larentia raised them as their own."

"In all versions of the founding myth, the twins grew up as shepherds. They came into conflict with the shepherds of Amulius, leading to battles in which Remus was captured and taken to Amulius. Their identity was discovered and Romulus raised a band of shepherds to liberate his brother; Amulius was killed and Romulus and Remus were conjointly offered the crown. They refused it while their grandfather lived, and refused to live in the city as his subjects. They restored Numitor as king, paid due honours to their mother Rhea and left to found their own city, accompanied by a motley band of fugitives, runaway slaves, and any who want a second chance in a new city with new rulers." Ghanima's lips quirked in amusement. "Of course, it did not go well."

"The brothers argued over the best site for the new city. Romulus favoured the Palatine Hill; Remus wanted the Aventine Hill. They agreed to select the site by divine augury, took up position on their respective hills and prepared a sacred space; signs were sent to each in the form of vultures, or eagles. Remus saw six; Romulus saw twelve, and claimed superior augury as the basis of his right to decide. Remus, angry at this claim, leaped across the wall Romulus was building as an insult to the city's defenses and their creator. Enraged, Romulus slew his brother, before burrying him with all honors and founding a city that would go on to spawn an entire civilization -- Rome."

"So, what do you think? After spending the weekend with your parents, would it be better or worse to be raised by a wolf? What makes a 'parent?' What is 'family?' Genetics, affection, support? What makes our guests 'your' family member as opposed to another version of them? A quirk of the timeline, or something more eternal?" Ghanima smiled at the class angelically. "Discuss."

Bardic Inspiration 2: the Bardening, Thursday, Period 2

[wrongkindofsith]

"Welcome back, welcome back!" Jaskier was ready for class, lute in hand. Because he was always excited for sharing the wonder of his craft.

Cara, on the other hand...

Hey! Cara was also very proud of her craft. Her violent, violent craft. "Today we're going to be talking about making people pay you." Since she was a good example who didn't bring her banned weapons to class you'd just have to imagine her significantly thumping an agiel against her palm.

"Tips!" Jaskier said, producing a ridiculous looking hat. "Because one can play to their hearts content, but that won't feed you at the end of the day."

"Unless you're persuasive." Another significant pause.

"Direct, friendly eye contact is a good method of guiltily people into tipping. Alcohol helps loosen the purse strings as well," Jaskier continued, worried this would turn into someone getting injured. Mostly him.

Cara abandoned subtlety and chose violence. "There's also violence."

"Or that," Jaskier granted. "How about we practice a bit?"

Yes, woo NPCakin into giving you cash.

Or just threaten to break his kneecaps, you know which Cara would approve of.