The negation exam

[mstevens]

Hey guys,

 

I just, um, "borrowed" a copy of the upcoming Negation exam. Not that I condone cheating, or anything. Think of it as a study aid

 

Page 1:

Practical (50 marks):

 

Pick up the provided quill (15 marks)

Open the provided bottle of ink (15 marks)

 

BONUS: The ink provided has been enspelled with Iucounu's Prismatic

Pigmentation. Extra marks will be given to students who answer their

questions in black ink.

 

Turn this sheet over and begin the theoretical examination. (20 marks)

 

Page 2:

Note that by turning the sheet over you have triggered a delayed

combustion spell, set to go off 5 minutes before the end of the

examination. Students are reminded that Academagia policy is to deduct

marks for answers rendered illegible by scorch marks.

 

Theoretical (50 marks):

 

Part 1: Appropriate paranoia:

For each of thsese common situations, 5 well-known danger signs have

been listed. Within each situation, arrange these signs in order from

most to least dangerous. Justify your answers. (25 marks)

 

1) When attempting to cast an Incantation spell:

• Burning smell
  
• Burning sensation
  
• Ominous rumbling noise
  
• Sudden gusts of wind
  
• Bystanders screaming in terror
  

 

2) When attempting to cast a Glamor spell:

• Sudden euphoria
  
• Synthesia
  
• Floating balls of light
  
• Motion sickness
  
• Bystanders screaming in terror
  

 

3) When attempting to cast a Revision spell:

• Agonising pain
  
• Target grows scales
  
• Nearby inanimate objects spontaneously liquefy
  
• Blurred vision
  
• Bystanders screaming in terror
  

4) When brewing a potion:

• Unexplained color change
  
• Unexplained foaming
  
• Bad smells
  
• Sparks
  
• Bystanders screaming in terror
  

 

5) When talking to another wizard:

• "I have a plan!"
  
• "Everything is under control!"
  
• "I am INVINCIBLE!"
  
• "Huh. What's that?"
  
• "AIEE! RUN!"
  

 

Part 2: Conventional negation methods (25 marks)

For each of the listed ways of dealing with hostile magic, list the

usual advantages and drawbacks

BONUS: List other common methods of dealing with hostile magic

• Countermagic, direct
  
• Countermagic, indirect
  
• Warding magic
  
• Barricades
  
• Running away
  

[Adrian]

Oh I wish I had to take this exam! Especially part 1 of the theoretical.

 

5)

"huh. What's that?" - suggests a minor inconsistency or a creature or item which fails to create a true sense of dread.

 

"I have a plan!" - a common sign of danger, often associated with students or minor wizards who believe they know more than they do and see fit to drag you into danger as well. While it might be dangerous to the people in question there usually are not much overall damage involved (mostly due to the lack of experience in all parts of this gimmick (- curse you Carmine!!). Nothing a trip to the infirmary can't fix (over the cause of two weeks...)

 

"AIEE! RUN!" - a fairly good indicator that trouble is afoot. Usually deals with the flashy kind of magic - incantation or glamour - or really large summoned creatures. Can be quite deadly but then again, we started to run didn't we?

 

"Everything is under control" - Only said by teachers who doesn't believe it themselves. This is a high-level danger sign, as the teachers have reason to be worried and if you are asked to leave the area then it is also close!

 

"I am INVINCIBLE!" - Well, the shit just hit the fan. You are standing close to an either insane or invincible wizard (or both!!) (the common riff-raff do not get a chance to say this - at least not to us wizards who might be inclined to show them their error), either way you are WAY too close - but in both cases running in blind panic only serves to excite the wizard and/or make you a target. If someone starts yelling this and you are in hearing range the best thing you can do is attempt to start a conversation and slowly back away until such time where you can run to safety (preferably behind massive stones, walls, animals or other stuff that makes killing you difficult.

 

Not sure if I didn't mess up 4 and 5 in that but heck, I think it is a decent guess

[Sabin Stargem]

4) When brewing a potion:

 

5 Unexplained color change

1 Unexplained foaming

3 Bad smells

2 Sparks

4 Bystanders screaming in terror

 

 

1 - Explained Foaming: This case is rather simple - either pour the concoction into a larger vessel, or leave the potion by Philippe Marchant and walk away. With the former strategy, you can wait for the foaming to subside while the liquid is contained in a vessel that prevents overflow by virtue of sheer size, and in the latter...well, Philippe himself is a menace, and it would take a menace to be rid of him.

 

2 - Utilizing "Mimsir's Invisible Box" you can create an invisible box with many small holes with which you can drain the box of air. By doing this, you can eventually reduce the oxygen content of the sparking object, depriving it of fuel to draw upon for that activity.

 

3 - It can't be any worse than Vernin's dorm rooms for the boys. I am more concerned about the pet slime that the students of Morvidus has been raising under one of our beds, mostly because it taken residence under my neighbor's. I might switch places with someone soon.

 

4 - As a general rule, when people scream, it is either something insignificant or terrible beyond belief. Quickly scan your surroundings, and then take the nearest exit that the others haven't taken - preferably, a window or a ledge. 71.6% of the dangerous things prefer crowds of students.

 

5 - This is a sure warning sign that something is going wrong. Should the color be especially calm and gentle, evacuate immediately and take shelter behind or beneath a particularly tough object, such as a dragon or Orso Orsi.