School of Necessary Magic
TUMB 02/2
School for kids with special magical talents, to learn to control and use them correctly. Supported by the US government in a good way. Many kids there from powerful and important families. People might have issues with Oricerans, but at the end of the day everyone wants every advantage, and there’s no bigger advantage out there right now than magic. Shay wants to go with James to check it out. I’ll have to let them know you’re coming. They were clear about specifying exactly who would visit, and said if I didn’t do that we wouldn’t be able to find the school.”
TUMB 02/5 School near Charlottesville airport. Rolling green hills dotted the lightly forested area, with only the occasional recessed home or mansion in the distance at the end of a private road. There wasn’t a skyscraper or graffiti-covered alley in sight. A tall and elaborate wrought-iron fence extended past both sides of the road ahead. An imposing gate sat in the center, bisecting the drive leading up a hill. Dense trees clogged the verges. The gates swung open as if pushed by invisible forces. No obvious mechanism was visible. A large building surrounded by a few smaller buildings appeared in the distance. The trees grew sparser. Alison felt the energy, thought it was beautiful. A white unicorn tromped along the side of the road. He would have sworn faint sparkles surrounded the thing. Another hoofed creature floated among the trees, eyeing the car with wide reptilian eyes. A lightly flaming halo burned around it. The creature looked like some sort of strange cross between an elk and a small dragon. It had jade-colored scales covering its body, antlers protruded from its head, and a soft mane of white fur around its neck. A Kirin. Wise and benevolent. Alison recognized them by their energy shapes. At the main school, a huge extended Georgian manor surrounded by a constellation of smaller buildings. Teens of various ages in uniforms wandered the grounds, some with backpacks. Pointed ears protruded from more than a few of the students’ heads. He parked the car on a circular drive surrounding an elaborate fountain resembling a bird on fire. A phoenix. If anything, all the fantastical displays proved that the School of Necessary Magic would be able to help Alison learn to control her abilities.The first adult he’d spotted since arriving, a distinguished-looking older woman with short hair and dark glasses, marched toward them. I’m Eleanor Hudson, a human witch. I teach magical history and basic spells here. In the beginning, many things about the school may be overwhelming to new arrivals, so the orientation is critical to integration.”
TSoNM 01/, 5, 13 Located in the rolling hills and green pastures of Albemarle County, Virginia. From the School of Necessary Magic, you could see for miles. It perched atop a lush green ridge, surrounded by hundreds of acres of pastures and forest. The school was tucked away from the traffic in nearby Charlottesville and gave just enough privacy to allow the students to flourish. A wide iron gate with the Oriceran crest on the top opened to massive Georgian mansion. It had been there for twenty years. It had wraparound porches and bright blue shutters, but on the inside were secrets and old magic from previous generations. Everything the young witches and wizards would need to learn was inside those doors, just waiting to be tapped. For the students, it was a place to increase their power, hang out with like-minded friends, and dream about the future. It was a place for the most powerful magical youth to hone their skills so that when the doors to their world opened to Earth once again they could help control the magic. Those who wandered near the iron gates found themselves wandering away, unable to remember what they were doing in that part of the county. It was the perfect setting for young talent to be molded into the future magical beings of Earth. Local rumors said there was a spell over the entire school, but most chalked it up to overactive imagination. Central area contained a large living area with couches, a huge flat-screen tv, and vending machines. Surrounding them were sleeping rooms (with five single-posted beds, matching night stands and dressers) with identical doors and oil lamps on the wall, only there was no oil and the candle still flickered wildly.
The West wing: There were paintings and sculptures everywhere, and magical energy clung to everything. The West Wing was the main teaching area, full of classrooms with whiteboards, desks, and all kinds of interesting artifacts. On the right side of the wing was a massive IT center packed with the newest computers and technology. The school felt it was imperative for the students to learn human technology, given the way the future was headed.
The East Wing: There was a well-equipped gym with treadmills, weights, and even some weapons for sparring. Attached to that was an indoor pool with tall cement diving boards.
North Wing: The cafeteria, bottom floor. The entrance is behind the staircase.” The large and ornate room was beautiful. It had been Turner Underwood’s ballroom many years before when he lived there. The ceiling curved up into a dome, its panels etched with the different magical creatures from Oriceran. In the center hung the massive crystal chandelier with hundreds of candles in black steel holders. All the oval tables were made of a rich dark mahogany and the chairs were high-backed, their upholstery stitched with shining brown, maroon, and golden thread. Every person who ate in the dining hall felt like a king or a queen. The enchanted sky in the dome changed depending on the time of day and the weather outside. On rainy days it would show a sunny day inside, running the rain late at night to let the students enjoy a relaxing evening. It rarely ever stormed from the ceiling, which kept the mood light and upbeat regardless of what was going on in the outside world. Everything in the dining hall was elegant and rich, right down to the appearing and disappearing dishes on the table. TSONM 01/13
Library: Was opened by large ornate wooden doors to a massive room. Lining the walls were floor-to-ceiling shelves packed with books. Ladders rolled back and forth on their own, growing tall and then shrinking again to the bottom shelf. In the center of the room were empty tables and chairs for studying
Stables: “There are stables her with horses we can ride. You can learn care for all types of Earth creatures here in your second year. Like a veterinarian, only when you get farther into the program you start learning about magical creatures too.” Izzie couldn’t remember where she’d heard to that. "I’ve heard the barn is used for more than just horse care, if you know what I mean, said Kathleen. The stables were at the bottom of the ridge, reached by a winding trail. Alison could see their souls, and though they were just regular Earth creatures there was calm and kindness in their energy.
Horticulture areas: Three massive greenhouses and fields of plants.
Stream: By the Teacher's cottages (Off Limits! !) “But if you go to the bottom of this hill and skim along the edge, you’ll see the start of it. Just follow it back into those woods. It’s pretty easy to find the student’s hangout area. They’ve been going there for years. There’s a long row of purple pansies that bloomed in the moss this summer, which is like a trail back to the tire swing.”
Scheduling: Mrs. Berens announced, "Students, you may unpack, get ready for classes tomorrow, and venture around the manor. Dinner in the cafeteria will be served promptly at five. If you have any questions or concerns, I, along with several other instructors will be in the girls’ dorm area, and our male instructors will be with the boys. I am going to call your names, and when I do, come up and collect your room number.”
Meals: Served in the cafeteria, tables seat seven. Students served but magic, plates appearing with their individual orders, then disappearing as well. TSONM 04/1 Kitchen staff were pixies.Cary, the head cook. Her wings fluttered behind her as she held up a pot five times larger than she was. Polly, her helper.
Mara Berens had been Headmistress for nineteen years. Staff: Annabelle Grant, Teacher. Lucy Fowler, Teacher, Plants for Potions. Eleanor Hudson, Teacher, magical history and basic spells. Max Regency, Gnome, Teacher, Channeling. Elias Hodges, Transfiguration Class. Leo Decker, Head Librarian. Horace Rigby, Groundskeeper, keeper of plants from Oriceran. Felix, the school cat, a fat tabby, stole left-over bacon, which he loved.
