The students exited the area, it was a small section of the library
that the speech happened at. everyone had gone to their next lesson
or to find some old dusty spellbook that hadn't been used since the
snow elves built and inhabited the place.


"Arkay... what do i do... please... just give me a sign..."
She sighed, trying not to think of her past.

"ma'am... theres a courier here to deliver news for you."
one of the students said. just before walking off.

"thank you..."
Asri then puts on her golden amulet and wipes her eyes.
"okay..."

she walked from the Library, through the main hall and
out to the courtyard where the courier awaited.



"hello there... your the grounds keeper and head mistress...
if im not mistaken of course ma'am..."
he stood, awaiting a responce, looking around the courtyard.

"that i am... what is the meaning of this visit?"
Asri didn't know what to say. there was something that
happened, something huge obviously.

"here..."
he passes a few letters and a bag of gold.

"you have a lot there... the most important one,
is that we have had a new Era begin... septim is dead...
the emperor of cyrodiil... although among those, is a
donation. by someone who wishes to remain anonymous...
thats why there's the bag of gold... and one other thing is a
meeting request... the jarl of winterhold would like to see you.
so... at least you dont have to travel across skyrim of course"

"thank you... i think you couriers have a lot to do now with the
death of septim having happened. huh?"

"Ma'am you have no idea... and to add onto that... i bid you all
farewell. goodbye. i have a lot more to deliver..."
The courier then turned around and began to walk off.

"thank you kind sir. and good luck! skyrim's roads are treacherous"
Asri said to the elf as he left.

"well...the emperor... dead... and pff... thats fun... the jarl...
i have no doubt he's to try verbally attack me: the way how
all of these little 'meetings' end with"
she thought to herself

Name: T'srahi Toviknair

Species: Khajiit

Age: Middle aged adult

Specialty: Invisibility and Stealth magics, and Bound Weapons skills.

Role: Teacher

Backstory: She was a slave for the better part of her younger years. She eventually was able to buy her own freedom - or, more to the point, get someone to buy it for her.

Name: Vanturi Terreus


Species: Imperial


Age: 22

Speciality: Illusion and Healing magic

Role: Student

Backstory: Vanturi came all the way to Skyrim much the same reason anyone goes to any college. To learn a bit and to have adventures. Especially if those adventures brought him into close, personal, contact with beautiful women. Coming from a middle class Imperial family, he had to live up to certain expectations at home, but here in Skyrim, his illusion magic made him all the more desirable and his healing magic patched himself up when angry men found him with their woman of choice.


———-

Vanturi had listened, somewhat interested, to the headmaster’s story. She was by far one of the most attractive women at the college, but Vanturi didn’t really like women with tortured pasts. And, well, an ancient vampire certainly qualified as a tortured past. Vanturi walked out and into the cold, right in time to bump into one of his friends.

”Hey, Van, did I miss much?” The boy asked.

”Another lecture turned story time by the head mistress. She kicked us all out though, so I have some free time until enchanting classes later.” Van explained. His friend smiled.

”Want to run into town and grab a drink at the pub?” His friend inquired.

”Eh, maybe another time. I’m feeling inspired to actually be studious today. Maybe it’ll rub off by this evening and I’ll see you there then. If not… well…. Look for my body in a book somewhere.” Vanturi said with a chuckle. Van then hurried through the whipping cold winds towards the Hall of Initiates.

The shades were all drawn and the normally bright classroom was thrown into shadows that obscured the many student's faces. One was standing at the front before a chalkboard full of arrows and points. His dark robes were askew and dusty from rolling out of the way of something just a moment before. 

His hands were balled into fists at his side, a sword grasped too tightly in one of them. His ragged breathing could be heard as all the other students held theirs, waiting.

Suddenly a shape appeared behind him.  Tsrahi uncloaked from invisibility with the point of her dagger digging into the boy's side just under the ribs in the back and left. She was ducked down and to one side, not where he had expected her to come from. He gasped and dropped his sword. "Yield, I yield oh gods," he said quickly.

"Yesss," whispered Tsrahi. "Yes you do. Pique up your sword, child."

She spun away and cloaked herself again, to the right this time to the smattering of tense applause from the rest of the students in the classroom. The boy bent, picked up his sword, and then spun to the left and the right with it raised to parry the next blow.

Silence drew out for a long moment, long enough for the audience to shift uncomfortably in their seats.

"Rulah number four: Eggxpect zee unexpected," came a whisper from above. 

The boy looked up, eyes widening to whites. "Not again," he whimpered.

"hmph... right."
Asri turned into a bat and flew to one of the
classrooms: the one where Tsrahi was teaching.

she turned back to her nordic form before entering.
there was a small applause when she had entered
into the room.

"whats happening in here?"
she asked one of the students as she came in and
sat down on one of the further back rows.

"we're learning S & D magic..."

"S & D?"
Asri inquired

"stealth and defence"

"ah, that makes sense... y'know kahjiit are the
best for this kinda thing... i mean... cat people?
anyways how long is left of this lesson? i need to
talk to her about something"

"about... five minutes... not even that"

"alright. well. you just keep learning."
Asri then got up and leaned against the wall.
she was impressed how Tsrahi managed to scale
the side of the classroom. although it would've
been a bit of an impactful landing.

Vanturi continued into the hall and looked about. At the moment he only noticed one or two other apprentices, students like himself. He decided he’d check the small library at the top of the tower. He climbed a few stories and looked about.

Most of the books were historical or theoretical, books that explained the history of a certain field or subject. Spell tomes that taught spells were reserved for teachers and for the Archanieum. Van continued to look until he found a treatise on healing magic that wasn’t too dry. He began to read as he paced about as he read, his mind thinking of possible adventures that he may be able to go on. Skyrim was a wide land full of tombs, dungeons, and more. Perhaps he could make his own name by clearing out some undead. His healing magic was suited for repelling and destroying undead. But he’d need to know more.

Van read for an hour or two before he went back to his bunk. He shared a room with an Argonian, who often was buried in the warmth of the covers. The cold really affected him. However, he was a gifted and, more importantly, quiet roommate. Van tucked the book under his pillow and decided to head back to the classroom. Maybe he’d drop in on a class if it seemed interesting. Or populated with pretty girls.

The college stood as tall as ever in the horizon.
Mailana smiled and made her way hastingly and the ever so sturdy yet damaged bridge to the courtyard greeted her with cold wind as always.
"It's good to be back" she thought, saying it out loud to herself and to any entity that would be there to greet her.
The College never ceased to amaze and surprise her.



Name: Mailana Gronblod


Species: Wood Elf


Age: Around 450 years. Give or take a decade


Specialty: Conjuration magic. Weapons in particular 


Role: Conjuration teacher 


Backstory: Mailana used to be the head armer of the Wood Elves army back in the days. Arming the troops who protected her home of  Valenwood by conjuring bows, swords and axes for the soldiers.
Cast out of her home after being accused of treason for falling in love with a human, a Nord and forgetting her place and duties.
After the Bosmer (Wood Elves) had expected her lover she was more than happy to leave her home and to pursue a more adventurous life outside in Skyrim, the home of the Nords where her lover was from.
Adandoning her dreams of ever finding a husband again she decided to become the best at what she does: Conjuring.
It didn't take long for Mailana to become employed by the College of Winterhold. A role she found fitting.
Now she was back at the school after a brief adventure to find a lost scroll in Falkreath she was more than happy to be back at her new home in the College.

(OOC: Amazing to see so many familiar roleplayers here! <3))

Mailana heard a commotion coming from a classroom and could sense a very familiar presence.
She smiled and was eager to greet the HT after a long trip.
Also she did have to let her know she was available to teach again.

Mailana seathed her staff and casually made her way in.
"Hello Asri. I couldn't ignore the captivating presence of a beautiful Vamp. Surprised to see it was you" she joked at the head teacher.
She ended her sentence with a cheerful chuckle and proceeded to greet the teachers.
"Hello everyone." Mailana waved. "I'm Mailana, the conjuration teacher at the college."

T'srahi picked the boy up off the floor and stood him back on his feet. Then she bent and retrieved his sword, and handed that back to him, too. He just kinda stood there in shock. She put her hands on his shoulders and turned him toward her, then dusted off his robes. "You're alright, yess?" 

He blinked and took a step back to the sound of tittering from the rest of the students in the shadowed classroom. "Oh. Yes, professor Tsrahi. Ma'am." She chuckled and extended an arm, gesturing with one sharp taloned hand for him to return to his seat. The blade she'd been using just a moment before was nowhere to be seen.

She walked smoothly over to the windows and drew the curtains back, flooding the room with light. The students remained fixed to their seats, watching her. Turning, she realized they were still there and made shooing motions at them. "Well, geet on with you. There's nuhthing more to zee here," she said. Students scrambled to do as she bid, rushing the door to the hallway. "Tomorrow, vee will begin again."

The kajhiit followed after them a moment later, a small smile gracing her lips. The young ones were so impressionable! To her surprise, she ran into Asrena on her way to the main hall. "Vhat is dees? Are you lurking?" she said to the head teacher with a grin. "Do you purrrhaps vhant to seet in on a class?"

She saw Mailana as well and nodded to her in greeting. "I zee you are back! I trust your travels vhent well? Deed you find vhat you ver looking for?"

"welcome back you enchantingly perfect bosmer...
how was the 'adventure'?"
Asri winked and smiled.

"still draugur hunting huh? t-take a seat..."
She stepped back and pulled one of the
chairs out, just before sitting back down
after a few seconds, the students then
scuttled off, being dismissed.

"sorry to but in... but you two are in
charge while i go across that bridge 
into town. see what the jarl wants...
no doubt to yell at me because the
college is the reason as to why people
dont want to step foot in winterhold."
Asri sighed. it was just about enough
for her to go vampire and actually end
the feuds. although if she did, she'd be
jeprodizing the college.

Mailana smiled in her usual cheerful style at T'srahi, the Khajiit and at Asri, the gorgeous Vampire.
Both who she had made deep connections to during her time educating new mages at the college.

"My travels were... exciting at least" she answered the Khajiit and nodded at her before digging through her backpack for an ancient dagger which she presented at T'srahi.
"I... 'acquired' this from an ancient Nordic crypt and though of you"
The blade was dull but mysterious nonetheless. Clearly an heirloom of some significance.

Mailana turned to Asri and winked at her.
"You know I'm all about gifts. So before you go.." She said and took out of her pocket a locket engraved with what seemed to Mailana to be Vampiric sigils or runes.
"I trust you could help me interpret this."
The locket hanged from Mailanas slim, long fingers by a time-worn silver chain. Spinning slowly as the sunlight hit the metal.
She then sat on the table in front of Asri, letting the locket down from her hands and onto the table.

Vanturi was walking up the stairs when a host of students burst through a doorway. They all left in somewhat of a hurry. He peered inside and saw Asri, T’srahi, and a female wood elf he hadn’t seen before. Their familiarity with the other two teachers indicated it was another teacher.

”Damn. Why are half the teachers such lookers.” Van muttered as he looked into the room briefly. He then realized that he had an assignment that was extremely overdue and that he could turn in to the teacher town the hall. He fumbled in his satchel looking for the paper.

”Shit… where’d that scroll go?” He said, leaning against the cold stone for but a moment to take a closer look for his assignment.

"i haven't seen one of these since...
well. since the 2nd Era...
w-where have you found this?"

Asri held the locket gently, trying not
to break the necklace.
"time worn indeed... back before the snow
elves were driven underground... oh my
god woman you dont know what you
have found..."
Asri thought.

"this. this is an amulet of Mirakesh... there was once
13 divines in total... many we're lost due to lack of
religion and. well... y'know when the main Mirakesh statue
in cyrodiil was left aba- nevermind.... to sum it up. the statue
up in cyrodiil was destroyed when the imperials took over the city...
if you we're to sell this... nobody other than the jarls will have enough
to actually buy it off you... even then you'd be putting that city into
bankrupcy... arkay... where did you find this?"

Asri kept looking at the amulet. this was a blast to the past.
back to her days as a mage for hire when she encountered
a group who had one of these each.

Mailana was cautious about telling Asri the story behind how she got her hands on the locket.
Still she didn't feel good about having secrets or lying to a friend as dear as Asri was to her.
"Do you remember the timber mill near Falkreath? The one run by vampires?"
She carefully opened the story, then sighed worryingly.
"Well. That is... No more."
Mailana looked away knowing this would be a sore spot for Asri wether the Vamp knew the couple or not.
Unsure what and how to continue the bad news she simply muttered: "Dawnguard".

A brief silence followed as Mailana let Asri take in the bad news about the vampire hunters attacking we kin. Again.
Mailana took a deep breath and placed her hand on Asri's shoulder, then proceeded to explain she had found the locket in a strongbox under the charred ruins of the timber mills main building.
Sure she had to pick the master lock that was guarding the treasure but she didn't feel like a thief per se.
Considering the owners were no more.

Mailana looked at Asri with sympathy.
They both knew Dawnguard was trouble.
Sure their cause is for good. To protect the people of Skyrim from vampire attacks but their vision and behavior is black & white. Forgetting there are Vamps like Asri.
Still Dawnguard knows no gray area.

Mailana shook away the gloomy feeling.
"So you know a lot about this locket?" She asked curiously.

T'srahi pounced on the gift of the ceremonial dagger with pure glee, and spent the next several minutes fawning over its well balanced symmetry and beautiful scrollwork on the hilt that extended to the scabbard. She even drew it and touched her finger to the blade which sharpened itself at her practiced will. The blood it drew elicited a quick hiss of pain and a delighted grin. "I love eet!"

"not all of them were good people... but... Sirani...
the redguard... h-what happened to him?"
She sighed and held her head
"god... if they can take out the big groups then think
of what'll happen if they find out i'm a vamp... agh...
i dread to think of it..."

she sighed and went silent, holding the necklace closely
to her chest.
"the students... all of you... i..."
a tear rolled down her cheek
"no..."

Mailana places her hand on Asri's cheek.
"Whatever happens, were here." She turned at T'srahi who was studying the gift she have her.
"Right T'srahi?" She said cheerfully.

Somehow her cheeriness managed to cover the fact that she was worried about the future of the college.
She turned back to Asri, who seemed very troubled.

"Did you have business with the Jarl?"
Mailana asked the head teacher.
"Perhaps i can take up the quest of you don't have anything more... Important to me" Mailana suggested with a sweet smile.

Vanturi found the scroll and went down the hall. He saw that the current professor was out, so he slipped it in the work slot on the door. He turned around and began to head down the hall, hoping to slip past the room of teachers and head to the Archanieum. There was a student worker there who was just too cute… not to mention she gave him dibs on some of the nicer tomes and scrolls.

He slipped his behind his back and began to make his way down the hall. Perhaps it would be a somewhat uneventful day after all.