Spring, Age 6
"Jack Scamp is ruh-ruh-rotting in the wall!" Harry Noughting proclaimed in front of the other children, and they giggled nervously at his irreverent answer. The fate and whereabouts of the missing child remained an ample source of disquiet and morbid fascination. After the first night of wailing cries tapering into soft moans, no one had heard from Jack ever again. Rumours and ghost stories then abounded to frighten the children and even a large portion of gullible adults into hysteria. Finally, Lady Marna took action. The first step was a public sanctifying of the castle grounds by the Bishop himself.
"Yes and no, Harry. That is the right sound, but Jack Scamp ruh-rests in heaven now. Good. Sit down. Next."
A little girl rose from her stool and gave Brother Herman her wax tablet. "R is the dog's letter. Arr-ruh. Arr-ruh. I like ruh-ruh-roses!" Brother Herman inspected the tablet and returned it with a nod. "Good. Sit down. Next." The second step was to institute day-long schooling for all the castle children during the winter to keep them too busy to create more ghost stories.
Today, just as every other day since, has been filled with boring drills and recitations. None of you, except perhaps smug little Gervaise, want to be here--and to be fair, Brother Herman, a bald old man too slow to run away from the schoolmaster assignment when it came rumbling down the pipe, also clearly has something other than teaching children on his mind. He sighs as he continues. "Next is the letter S, children. S is the serpent's letter. Sss. Sss. Now watch me write."
Your attention wanders to the lancet window which frames a lush scene of life returning to the world outside in shades of green. Spring has arrived, and you could be playing outside right now. You fidget restlessly and feel your little muscles aching to play some sports. You glance at the other children and see many other eyes also on the window, but Harry Noughting is talking to Cadmon Pike and Hammy Cook. Hammy is looking sideways at the schoolmaster as he gives Harry a leather pouch.
Brother Herman finishes writing the letter. "Now, say the letter S-sss and a sss-sentence."
Gervaise stands up first unbeckoned and gives Brother Herman his wax tablet. "S is the serpent's letter. Sss. Sss. Sss-seldom have I learned sss-so much, Brother Herman!" The elderly monk studies the tablet, and his face lights up. "Yes, well, the flourishes are a bit more than needed, but very excellent work, Gervaise, very excellent indeed! You'll make an outstanding scribe." His face hardens again. "Now young master Harry."
When Harry begins to walk toward the schoolmaster, Cadmon Pike sticks out his foot and trips him. The tablet clatters on the floor as Harry tumbles to the ground in a heap. The heap begins shuddering with sobs of pain. Harry stands up with blood streaming down his face, and his hand is gripping the wooden stylus that has pierced his eye socket. He stumbles over to a corner and collapses again. Brother Herman follows. "Oh sweet Jesus! Harry, my boy, oh sweet Jesus! Come let me examine it!"
"It hurts-sss! It hurts sss-so bad!"
On that cue, Cadmon Pike stands up and shouts to the other children, "Jack just stole his eyes! Bloody hell, everyone run! Jack wants our eyes now! Out the window! Go! Go!" Most of the boys pile into the window and jump outside, screeching and laughing. Hammy slaps your back as he passes by and whispers, "Goat's blood from the kitchens. Help me up!" He heaves himself half-way onto the window sill and his flabby legs flail in the air.
How does the young Lord Stone react? Stay in school, or go play?
The last roleplay ended so badly that I felt a need to show how the children eventually coped. Through making it a joke. This answer is not trivial, though. It will be taken to represent a general preference rather than one isolated event. Is Lord Isaac Stone too cool for school? Let's find out. After the jump, I'll provide the turn data and you can give options for the year.
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Topic: Heirship: A Suggestion Game (Read 29958 times)