F.A.Q.s

[Headmaster]

What You Wanna Know?

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS HOW DOES MAGIC WORK HERE? To best answer this question we need to first address the ways magic can be 'used' by the various character types. For our purposes we'll divide them into ANNA BOYS, WILDLINGS, MAGES and CREATURES. ANNA BOYS are characters who have earned a specialized type of magic that is limited to a specific power set. Think of Marvel's Captain America or Spiderman - someone who is born completely human and some outside force (loss of virginity at St. Valentines) has endowed them with power. Once earned, it takes them time to master their abilities and adult Anna Boys will almost always have better command of what they have become than newly minted boys. In a nutshell, while the abilities they gain do function naturally they must learn to fully embrace and use them. ANNA BOYS abilities are strongest in Hart, specifically on campus because of their connection to Anna Valentine. Not all boys who lose their virginity on campus become Anna Boys. WILDLINGS also have a limited natural power set, the main difference between them and Anna Boys is that they are born with their gifts. They have more time to master them and in many ways magic is as much a part of life to them as it is for Mages or Creature type characters. Wildlings have no necessary connection to Anna Valentine, the school nor Hart. They are extremely rare. The canon Katzman is an example of a Wildling as would be a mutant character like Charles Xavier of the X-Men. MAGES, which for our purposes encapsulates all spell casters, are often simply human beings who are taught to sense, conjure and refocus the energy around them. Trained Mages refer to this energy as Aether and it takes time to master this channeling process. The more time a Mage practices or studies translates into greater knowledge and in this case knowledge is definitely power. While the other character types CAN learn magic, the Mage class seems to have a much easier time in learning and succeeding in the craft. An example of this kind of character might be Merlin or even Harry Potter. CREATURES are born with specific abilities, strengths and weaknesses inherent to their race. Some are able to cast magic, but those few are usually regulated to the higher tier rare creatures like Dragons. Age and experience also affects this class of character and the older the character the more knowledgeable and powerful in their abilities. The canon Dawson is an example of this type of character, as would be a Lycanthrope. SPELLCASTING, in terms of role-playing dynamics here, we would rather not limit it's use to classifications or a specific set of spells. Even so, there has to be some conjuring action, some spoken or written words completed in-character to instigate the performance of said spell. The more complicated spell the more involved that preparation becomes so it may need a ritual of some kind, or even more than one Mage to see it succeed. HOWEVER complicated ritual spells can be 'prepared' ahead of time and cast with a final, brief, incantation containing the 'power' word that releases the spell/energy upon a target. SPELLCASTING is a learned practice or skill set ans it takes a lifetime for most to master. While anyone is technically capable of learning magic, it takes time, talent and a natural propensity for it to truly be successful. By natural propensity we imply, for our purposes, genetics and typically only Mages are born with the ability to channel aether on their own. More so, there is prejudice within the magical community that suggests that magic not be taught to anyone but those born with the right genetic gift. Even if they should be taught, Anna Boys, Humans or Creatures will not be able to compete with Mages when it comes to spell casting. It might even be viable to suggest that they not even try. That's not to say that Anna Boys or Supernatural creatures are weaker. A well-used magic-based ability at the right time and place might out-class a Mage in the middle of casting a spell.

[Truant]

DOES THE SCHOOL TEACH MAGIC(K)? No. For all intents and purposes, St. Valentine's is just like any other prestigious private school. It has a set, non-magical, curriculum. It is not a school like Harry Potter's Hogwarts, though it does have a rather extensive collection of arcane books, most in the restricted part of the library. The explanation for such a collection is that these books would otherwise be lost to antiquity if they weren't protected in such a collection as many of them are the last surviving copies of such books. However, since it's inception it has always been a popular school for well-heeled (read rich) families with a tradition of magery in their history to send their sons. It enhances the network of mages by allowing the younger generation of mages to make contacts and expand their knowledge but it is done via their own private studies and with contact with other student mages. It is not done openly. While there are the rumours of Anna Boys, a known fact to some current and former students (and staff), this too is not openly discussed. Those who are aware of another's magic have generally learned about it in one of three ways. The student's ability was used in front of them, the student with Anna magic trusted them enough to show them or somebody else who knew told them. Supernaturals - weres and other creatures tend to keep their supernatural side to themselves wherever possible, unless they share with a trusted friend or they are known to others of their kind. ie, werewolves would always recognise fellow werewolves most often simply by scent. At least one of the following criteria must be met for a student to attend St. Valentine's School for Boys. 1. The student and his family are mages and belong to a network of mages (a somewhat secretive community) 2. Tradition/history and prestige. The school has seen former Presidents, UN Ambassadors, CEOs and more who wish to continue the tradition of sending their sons to the school they, their fathers and perhaps their grandfathers attended. 3. The student's family has plenty of money and while not mages may have friends who are (though they might not know this fact) who have recommended the school to them and then put in a word to assist the enrolment of that student. 4. Last but not least, scholarship students, because no elite school would be quite so prestigious or hold a strong reputation without providing some scholarships to the 'less fortunate'. HYBRIDS WHAT DOES HYBRID MEAN IN OUR CONTEXT? On Boys, the definition of Hybrid is: an animal or plant resulting from a cross between genetically (or magically) unlike individuals. Hybrids between different species are usually sterile. Thus, a mage and a supernatural creature may produce offspring but that offspring will be 'sterile', meaning for the purposes of this board, non-magical.

[Headmaster]

HOW TO KNOW IF BOYS & THEIR MAGICS IS RIGHT FOR YOU? We are a literate, "advanced," role playing community of writers who value story and character over flash and typical fly by night hit and run slash game play. We experience seasonal shifts in activity as the majority of our writers are over 18 adults who have busy lives whether still in school or living their lives earning a living and so forth. We are in this for the long haul. We don't mind that it can take time to develop relationships of value, in fact a few of our character relationships have lasted for three or more years of IC game play. Whether four members or four hundred, our goals remain the same - to provide a fun place to enjoy creativity, friendship and yes, slash exploration within the context of a fantasy setting. By contrast, if you think in terms of slash role play as simply a place to thread sexual hookups without concern for character development or plot, then Boys & Their Magics is not the place for you. WHAT KIND OF PLOTS DO YOU HAVE? DO YOU INVOLVE ORIGINAL CHARACTERS OR SHOULD I PLAY A CANON? We'll involve Original Characters to the extent that you allow us to. What does this mean to you? Basically, you choose how much you'd like to be involved in the overriding plot and are free to establish your own stories. We wont hand hold you to get you involved but we will provide sign up opportunities when community or member group based plot arcs come about. We've done the work of providing a place in our plot for our canons, it is your responsibility to do so for your characters. IS EVERYTHING ALWAYS ACTION OR MAGIC BASED? Not necessarily. Remember we are telling stories. Some will be more action based than others and not all will appear to have a strong connection to magic. At their core, all stories involve the everyday machinations and motivations of people, even if it isn't obvious magic will come into play at some point as the wide ranging arc of that story plays out. WILL ALL BOARD SPONSORED PLOTS INVOLVE EVERYONE? We try to create opportunities for all players, though it is logistically impossible to involve all registered characters in every plot arc. To reiterate, we will involve you to the extent you wish to be involved. It may not always be possible to do so in the way you like, but we do our best to accommodate all players.