Fandom High School

Around them was a gigantic bayou, full of towering trees and long, hanging vines. Unseen things sometimes moved unseen below the dark waters. The scent of rich loam perfumed the air - the scent of decomposition, though most didn't realize that was so. The scent many people associated with rich life was, in fact, the scent of death. On such juxtapositions was Witherbloom founded. From the center of the swamp rose a kind of bog mansion that looked like it was grown out of Sedgemoor itself. It had a network of interconnected wooden pods with planked walkways leading out of it like the tentacles of some kind of swamp creature. Necroluminescence shone brightly throughout the swamp, giving it an eerie glow; though there were also fireflies and delicate golden moths that added to the bog's illumination.

Liliana sat on a tree root that had grown up out of the marsh, easily as wide as she was tall, with stones sunk into the side of the root closest to the mansion to serve as stairs of a sort. "Welcome to the Sedgemoor," Liliana said, giving the class a smile that held true warmth and fondness for their locale. "Home to Witherbloom College, part of Strixhaven University. It was here I attended college when I was little older than Cal and Illyana. That there is Widdershins Hall, where many classes of the College were held, our dorms were scattered around the Sedgemoor itself." Unlike last week, when their refreshments had been provided from various island restaurants with no explanation, today at the center of the ring of blankets and cushions was a fondue set, a large pot of cheese surrounded by smaller platters of moddable foods to dip within it, some quite familiar, others entirely foreign, native to the plane of Arcavios, where Strixhaven had been founded.
Power
• What does black mana desire? What is its end goal?

• What means does black mana use to achieve these ends?

• What does black mana care about? What does it represent?

• What does black mana despise? What negatively drives it?

• What is black mana's greatest strength? Greatest weakness?

( Power Through Ruthlessness )

"Again, because free will is paramount, there is no such thing as a 'slippery slope' whereby using more black mana will somehow condemn you to become a power-hungry monster or to see the rest of the world as a toy to play with. Black does not provide a set of goals that black-aligned individuals have to pursue; we are not required to chase political, martial, or financial dominance. Abyss, we do not even even need to pursue selfish goals. Blac provides only only a method - do not abide by needless restrictions - and a worldview - power enough to secure our own free will is mandatory. Beyond that, one can choose any goal they desire, for whatever reasons they desire. To have it any other way would be anathema to free will itself. Of course, black encourages people to take care of themselves and discourages putting others first, but - and this is vital - it neither commands the former nor forbids the latter. Black is not above being humble or empathizing with others, or radically changing its self-image and priorities when it's necessary. Black's goals can include finding love, true friendship, and happiness within a community, even living out a life of self-sacrifice or servitude to another without any difficulty at all. The only, only intolerable thing for a black mana philosopher is not being able to decide the course of their own life, everything else is negotiable.

Today's class met across the river from a windswept bluff that soared high above them. At its base was a tall stone tower at the top, crowned with a metal contraption that some might (rightly) guess was a beacon to be lit at night. Steam rose from the surface of the water, which smelled faintly metallic and ever so slightly of sulphur. They were sitting on a small beach, another picnic set out, surrounded by large outcroppings of rock almost like solidified sand dunes. The beach itself was very rocky, too, full of large chunks of basalt that have been smoothed by time and water. "And this is Innistrad," she welcomed. "The plane I have lived on the longest, though while my estate is in Stensia, this particular spot is in the Province of Nephalia, where I apprenticed for several decades." Hence her fondness for the spot, which also have the benefit of not being the Kruin Pass, or the Ashmouth, or any of the less pleasant aspects of Stensia's mountain ranges.

Spread out in front of them were a variety of Innistradi dishes, many of them having flavor profiles in common with Eastern European flair, if people were familiar with those. There were individual earthenware crocks full of a thick vegetable soup that had been baked and then served over rice, grilled rolls of minced drake meat served with flatbread and vegetables and a tangy cream made from griffons milk, thin pancakes filled with velvety smoked slices of kraken meat, chunks of salty, smoked cheese served with grilled apples, bacon, and cranberry sauce, and a dish someone might remember, made of chunks of raw fish in a special sauce of lemon juice, butter, and seasonings. And, of course, carafes juice and pots of tea and rich, dark, kava.

"Today, as you have likely put together already, we're going to talk about red mana," she said, the white board behind her filled with the now-familiar questions and, more importantly, the word at the top now
Freedom
• What does red mana desire? What is its end goal?

• What means does red mana use to achieve these ends?

• What does red mana care about? What does it represent?

• What does red mana despise? What negatively drives it?

• What is red mana's greatest strength? Greatest weakness?


( Freedom Through Action )

Liliana took a sip of her tea as the lecture wound down. "Even with its focus on relationships and bonds, red is a very individualistic color, placing its own beliefs of what's right above everyone else's - though, thankfully, those beliefs generally extend only over what is right for oneself.. Red's greatest strength is its ability to know what it wants, the purpose and clarity so many others lack. In addition, red is committed to taking action to get the things it wants. Others might pine for things; red actively takes the steps to acquire them. This drive grants red a passion and speed that can often overwhelm its adversaries. Red's enthusiasm creates an energy that allows it to do amazing things - it is a color heavily associated with art, with passion, with creativity - art is, of course, often meant to make you feel."

When the class opened the doors of the Danger Shop, they were greeted with an idyllic rolling grassland, the air warm with the occasional refreshing breeze scented by the wildflowers growing in profusion by the babbling stream. Nearby a small stand of trees where there were equal parts shade and sunlight to sit in, was a large circle made of colorful blankets, complete with cushions to either sit upon or rest against, and cunning little lap desks to enable people to take notes even while lounging in this impromptu picnic. A low elegant table with a basketful of various fruit-filled pastries, next to several rustic charcuterie boards, with meats, cheeses, breads and the like. There were also several glass decanters, one full of pure spring water, another with milk, the third with a green juice with an almost iridescent sheen. And, of course, enough fine dishware, utensils, and glasses for the class.

The only thing out of place of this little idyllic countryside picnic was a whiteboard behind one of the blankets. Much like the first week, there were multiple questions written on it, but instead of a star with words written at each point, there was only one word written at the top of the board:
Peace

"First of all, class, I apologize for the abrupt cancellation of class last week; I was a cat." What a purely Fandom sentence that was. "My appreciation to Mr. Scientia for informing you all. And, secondly, welcome to a small slice of Lorwyn, a truly lovely little plane I lived in for about a decade or so, some fifty or so years back. Had we the time and I the inclination, I could have programmed in my tower, a half-hour's ride to the northwest from this exact spot. Furthermore, while our surroundings are a simulation, the food on the table before you all is real, fetched this morning from a kithkin marketplace. The cloudgoat milk is fresh, I have extensively tested the briarberry tarts to ensure their quality, and the rowan treefolk nectar is tangy and quite refreshing. If you are confident in your ability to eat and drink while taking notes, please feel free to help yourself. Otherwise, it would be wiser to wait until we enter the discussion part of the class. Unfortunately, my unexpected transformation left us with less time that I had anticipated, so we're diving into the material immediately."

( Peace Through Structure )

"But when those systems and structures work, white is unparalleled. It understands the need for both moral and civil laws - moral laws shape how people think and the civil laws control how they act. Together, these two forms of structure create a framework that helps ensure individuals are working for the benefit of the group. There is a reason that the concepts that white values most are the underpinnings of most societies; more than anything else, white wants us to succeed as a group. To set aside selfishness, recklessness, and carelessness, and truly embrace our fellows, to care about each other as we care about ourselves, and to ensure that everyone has a chance to live peacefully, with their needs met - not simply physical, but emotional, spiritual, and mental, as well."

[Sorry for the late, brain would not cooperate]

The students had all been handwavily instructed that they would be meeting in the Danger Shop for every class, though when they entered it today, it was currently set up to mimic a classroom. On the board at the front of the room a five pointed star was inscribed, and at each point was a word: Peace, Freedom, Perfection, Acceptance, and Power. Beneath the star, several questions were written out:

• What do you desire? What is your end goal?

• What means do you use to achieve these ends?

• What do you care about? What do you represent?

• What do you despise? What negatively drives you?

• Why do you like your allies and hate your enemies?

• What is your greatest strength? Greatest weakness?

Liliana was leaning against the front of her desk, sipping a cup of tea and watching the class file in. As soon as the bell or whatever rang, she began to speak. ( Have introductions on your own time. We have lectures in this class. )

"Each of the words listed here is a summation of what its corresponding color of mana ultimately desires. Due to either a similarity to how the mana seeks to achieve those goals or a similarity in what it repudiates, each color has two allied, or complementary colors. Blue mana plays nicely with black and white, green mana plays nicely with red and white. And, as follows, each other has to enemy colors as well. White magic is enemies with black and red, and red mana is enemies with blue and, again, white. The colors that one type of mana is allied with will be enemies of each other, and the enemies of one kind of mana will be allies."

It was a surprisingly elegant system, all things considered. "The questions on the board are questions we will seek to answer every week as we discuss each color in detail. Today, we'll be applying those questions to you, in order to get an idea of what color mana you might be personally drawn to. I'm also interested in hearing your opinions about what desired goal is linked to what color mana, and why you've decided that. And, of course, the required introductions. So. Let's begin."