Floating Castle: Final Exam

[eli_gone_crazy]

FC100 Floating Castle Exam 2014 Date: __________________________

Name: _______________________ Instructor: ______________________

You must choose ONE OF Parts A, B or C to answer in full. You will be given 100 hours to complete the examination. No electronic devices are permitted in the exam room. This includes cell phones, pocket dictionaries, laptops, airplanes, palm pilots, beepers, tablets, microwave ovens, those little tamegotchis, gameboys, kindles, playstation portables, desktop computers, fax machines, pay phones, fountain pens, bionic implants, and your older sibling/cousin who may know more about this subject than you.

Extra credit may be given for completion of more than the required number of questions.




Part A - Terms

You must choose 10 out of the following 12 terms to identify and define. For full marks, identify the context of the item or individual, and give a definition of what the term means or who the individual is. This should be completed in paragraphs of less than one hundred words each.

1. Shardreach
2. Phantom Thieves Anonymous
3. Anti-guild
4. Psychneuein
5. Yester
6. Salvantas Londgium
7. Floor Seven
8. The Underground
9. Loreknights
10. The Veil
11. . Cows
12. The Guard

Part B - Short Answers

You must choose two out of the following six questions to answer in full. For full marks, give specific examples and relate the significance of your answer to the overall Castle. Answers longer than six hundred words will not be graded.

1. What are the various types of magic present in the castle? Please define and explore how the different styles and practices of mages coordinate or conflict with each other.
2. Name and describe four different non-human creatures indigenous to the Castle.
3. Describe and compare/contrast the different philosophies of at least two guilds/organizations in the Castle.
4. How are farm animals (such as horses, ducks, and cows) important to the economy and growth of the First Floor city?
5. Discuss the value and impact of literacy and print culture in the Castle.
6. The Crimson Hound and Onyx Raven’s rebellion brought the city to anarchy. Explore how the rebellion impacted commerce and job safety, with special attention to what actions you would have recommended at the time to create a more successful governing structure, in lieu of the rage talismans and dispatch of all guilds and guild members.

Part C - Essay

You may choose up to two of the following four choices and write a complete (min. 600 words) essay on the topic. Be sure to indicate which essay question you have chosen. For full marks, be sure to make reference to at least two of the readings studied in the course of the Castle.

1. Giving specific examples from the text, speculate on the identity and goals of the individual known as Shardreach.
2. Giving specific examples from the text, discuss the phenomenon of death in the Castle, and how it effects further problems or impacts other lives.
3. Giving specific examples from the text, define the physical mechanics of how the castle can even exist in space.
4. Giving specific examples from the text, speculate on the temporal and technological framework in which the Castle exists.

[Pixelmage]

FC100 Floating Castle Exam 2014
Date: April 1st 2014

Name: Pixelmage
Instructor:

Part A - Terms

You must choose 10 out of the following 12 terms to identify and define. For full marks, identify the context of the item or individual, and give a definition of what the term means or who the individual is. This should be completed in paragraphs of less than one hundred words each.

1. Shardreach - May refer to the land generally accepted as being "The Castle" or to one individual entity of significant power that made it's first public appearance during the rebellion known as the Civil War.
2. Phantom Thieves Anonymous - Guild of thieves led by Seire Valefar and host to several renowned individuals. Despite their self proclaimed role as thieves, PTA's actions have not been shown to be involved in several occasions or theft and raids.
3. Anti-guild - Faction formed in the wake of Luca Maeori's rebellion. Led by Soren Kravos, they used rage-fueled amulets to carry out actions of violence aimed at guilds and their allies.
4. Psychneuein - [--------------------------------------------]
5. Yester - One of the leaders and emissary of the goblin residents of the Castle. Sent to negotiate terms of agreement with the newly arrived humans, at the time, managed to secure a trade of explosives for his kind.
6. Salvantas Londgium - Leader of Heroes Unlimited, a philanthropist and active guild with goals of securing safety and happiness for the Castle's citizens. However, both the leader and the guild's modus operandi display no show of mercy toward entities whose actions are detrimental to their goals. Their vigilante nature put them in a uneasy alliance with several other guilds and the guard forces.
7. Floor Seven - [--------------------------------------------]
8. The Underground - Refers to the whole area at height levels bellow the main city hub. It is regarded as a dangerous place, home to several creatures of significant power and has proven to be quite challenging to accurately measure. The depth and extension of the Underground are not currently known.
9. Loreknights - Faction led by Lori, a self-declared librarian who herded several talented spell users under her command with the declared goal of researching and preserving knowledge about the Castle and useful to those who want to brave its challenges.
10. The Veil - One of the countries in the lands bellow the Castle. Home to Tamar Delaney and also to the renowned Castor family of spellcasters.
11. Cows - A domestic bovine animal regardless of sex or age. Usually used interchangeably with cattle within the Castle. One of the few things known as a fact is that the cows were already there before the humans arrived.
12. The Guard - A military force led by Legias. Formed initially as an emergency response militia, Legias' experience prior to arriving in the Castle enabled her to formalize the force as an established faction. Although not under military dictatorship, the Guard remains as one of the most influential forces within the human society taking on several governmental roles.

<_<
>_>
There. I took care of the easy ones for you.

[Endless Sea]

Pretty sure 4 was the thing in Zi's head. That, or the mind-eater things that caused Zi to have a thingy in her head. One of those.

[Tohrinha]

FC100 Floating Castle Exam 2014
Date: Undefined
Name: Tohrinha
Instructor: Independent Study (GMs: Pixelmage, eli_gone_crazy, Qara-Xuan Zenith)

Part A - Terms

• Shardreach -- Shardreach, or Shard, is a Genius Loci, resident to the Castle. He was discovered by the adventurers during the Civil War, when Marcus used the time gem to teleport to the twentieth floor, searching for a cure for Anji. He is currently working for the King to keep the adventurers from climbing the Castle. Shard is responsible for the recent rearranging of the Castle, as well as Julius's murder. He is also an arrogant git.

• Phantom Thieves Anonymous -- Phantom Thieves Anonymous, colloquially known as the PTA, is an illict guild of kleptomaniacs headed by Seire Valefar. Its management consists of a group of Seire’s old teammates, including Giselle, the magus Scarlet, and Shirou, as well as Black Zess, a recent addition. It is headquartered in a fortress previously used to horde weapons. It occasionally engages in inexplicable moments of generosity, or “Robin Hood-ing”. The priest Kurt Schweinorg is an unofficial member.

• Anti-guild -- The anti-guild movement was a primary force in the civil war, stirred up by “Crimson Hound” Luca and “Onyx Raven” Asha. A key part of its support was in the latter’s rage amulets, wooden pendants inscribed with an inverted rune. However, especially by the end of the civil war, many members were either voluntary or forced to join. The entire group was responsible for much rioting, killing, and burning of the city. Soren Kavros was a significant member. It was defeated nigh-simultaneously by Hector and Tamar; Ben and Nova (Anji); and Jenny, Likovya, and Mirae.

• Psychneuein -- The psychneuein are a species of psychic parasite that inhabit the Underground. They were encountered by Zi, soon after she ceased to be possessed by Asha, at the defeat of the anti-guild. She successfully escaped the psychneuein, unharmed and with a familiar, Numen.

• Yester -- Yester was the goblin ambassador to the recently formed human outpost on the second floor. Darren and Mirae were assigned by Legias to treat with him for peace. This was arranged by giving the goblins a box of explosives and a giant magnet, much to the displeasure of the rest of the guard. He be very fond of shinies, and talkin’ much like a pirate, yarr.

• Salvantas Londgium -- Salvantas Londgium is an adventurer and the head of Heroes Unlimited (Light and Dark). He notably has three distinct personalities: Salvantas, the “good” part of his psyche; Mr. Blank, the “neutral”; and Jadas, the “evil”. He switches between the first two at the sight of blood. Jadas, however, was buried deep into his psyche, appearing only briefly before his body was knocked out. His whereabouts are currently unknown, though likely in his guild headquarters.

• Floor Seven -- Floor 7 is a land of quicksand and unusually-sized rodents. The only mention of it so far has been in an account of Aram and Mirae’s exploration of the Castle, post-rearranging. It has some vegetation, though sparse.

• The Underground -- The Underground is part of the Castle, unlocked by a key found by Darren and Curtiss. It is an area that makes very little physical sense, despite mapping attempts, and is rife with dangers such as vampires, psychneuein, and nagas. It has also been the site of various traps set by humans, as well as hideaways for groups that would be in danger if they surfaced. Tl;dr - mind screw bent on killing you.

• Loreknights -- The Loreknights are a knowledge-aimed guild, based in the City library. They are headed by Lori. Notable members include Plinny, Fern, and Lovia. While many reside in the library full-time, Lori sends groups out on various missions, such as scouting upper floors or seeking out potion ingredients. Their presence, while generally helpful to library patrons, can prove bothersome or even dangerous due to the experiments hidden in every nook and cranny.

• The Veil -- The Veil is a city-nation on the world below, home to Tamar. Its ruling class has a well-deserved reputation for brutality and gleefully performed torture. It does not have large bodies of water nearby, other than the Oxblood Lake, which doesn’t count, since we’re not entirely sure it’s water.

• Cows -- Cows make up a good half of the population of the Castle at any given time, as well as forming an integral part of its mythos. They were the first creatures to welcome the adventurers to the Castle (before being penned and/or slain by Marcus and Mirae), and will likely be the last thing they see before leaving. However they leave. There has been reason to believe that the cows of the first floor are not as bovinely dullard as one would expect, i.e., their coordinated escape attempt. But they are generally placid, and will be welcomed by many when they rise up to take their place as overlords.

• The Guard -- The City Guard is an organization dedicated to the maintenance and protection of the city. It is headed by Legias, who has been known on occasion to press adventurers into her service. This is not, however, a common occurrence. Adam, referred to early in the readings as the Princeling, is currently her second-in-command. Alignment: Lawful good (except for the corrupted ones). Mascot: Behemoth wearing a sombrero.

Part B - Short Answers

• What are the various types of magic present in the castle? Please define and explore how the different styles and practices of mages coordinate or conflict with each other.

There are three main varieties of magic: elemental, holy, and summoning. Elemental is the most common type, with mages specializing in lightning, ice, fire, earth, wind, healing, light, and likely others. This can mean creating or controlling the element, such as sparking a flame, or a more metaphorical use, such as making a frenzy spell with fire magic. It is also clearly the most fun of the three, since you can spam lightning without set-up. Lightning lightning lightning.

Holy magic is used by Kurt Schweinorg, including the healing and purging qualities of holy water. He also appears to store objects in pieces of paper. Summoning and other ritual magic is used by Fern and Plinny, and is taught in at least one university on the ground. It and holy magic each require a good deal of preparation, unlike elemental magic, but so far seem to have many varied uses.

There seem to be many theories of magic. The most prominent deal with souls, either as a source or a conduit for magic, and arcane energy. Theory conflicts have not killed any major characters yet.

• Name and describe four different non-human creatures indigenous to the Castle.

Rakes are a small humanoid race living underground on the second floor. They have some language skills. They were first encountered in a ravine on the second floor caused by explosives. The second (and only other recorded) encounter was in the goblin mines during the second floor bossfight.

Goblins are also a small humanoid race living on the second floor, though their forays underground seem to be limited to mines. They are fond of mining and the shinies they find that way. The humans have entered negotiations with them more than once. Their ambassador, Yester, talks like a pirate. Whether this extends beyond September 19 remains to be seen.

Centaurs live (or lived) on the thirteenth floor in five tribes. Then Kurt and Seire and his band of merry men arrived.

Two-dimensional wolves live on the eighteenth floor, which is equally two-dimensional. Despite having no depth, they are just as deadly as their three-dimensional counterparts--more so, if their prey hasn’t figured out how to dodge in 2D. Some were brought back by the scouting mission which included Fern and Eliziya.

[narrativedilettante]

FC100 Floating Castle Exam 2014 Date: 04/07/14

Name: narrativedilettante Instructor: eli_gone_crazy

Part B

You must choose two out of the following six questions to answer in full. For full marks, give specific examples and relate the significance of your answer to the overall Castle. Answers longer than six hundred words will not be graded.

Describe and compare/contrast the different philosophies of at least two guilds/organizations in the Castle.

-I will compare Phantom Thieves Anonymous with the Guard.

Phantom Thieves Anonymous treats its members as free agents, welcome to join with other guild members or act on their own as they see fit. Actions taken by the guild as a whole are done with the cooperation of participating members, but the choice of whether to participate is left up to the individuals. In the Guard, members are expected to follow instructions and adhere to the general structure of the Guard at all times.

Both the Guard and Phantom Thieves Anonymous owe their success as organizations to their determined leaders, though the personalities and leadership styles vary. Seire Valefar is charismatic and populist, while Legias is authoritarian and severe. Guard members obey Legias because they fear and respect her. Thieves follow Seire because they like him.
Both organizations attempt to help the general populace, though again their attitudes toward helping the public vary. The PTA attempts to make supplies more readily available to the people, while the Guard focuses more on keeping people out of trouble. In a way, the PTA’s attitude is more one of preparing people to fight danger while the Guard’s attitude is one of stopping the danger before the people need to fight it.
The Guard is an organization based on Order, the PTA on Chaos. They don’t get along very well, but they tolerate one another.

How are farm animals (such as horses, ducks, and cows) important to the economy and growth of the First Floor city?

-People in the Castle require just as much in the way of food and supplies as those on the Surface. The First Floor city was established because the buildings were there, but it lives because of the farm animals that can be kept. Cows are an important source of food for the city inhabitants, through meat and milk, which can be turned into all sorts of dairy products. Some Castle inhabitants spend their time tending to animals, maintaining this resource that all of the adventurers rely on to keep them healthy. Here we get the very basis of trade, some people performing an action that serves others, and being compensated for it. The city is largely self-sustaining, which it could never be if there were no farms and farm animals. The stability of the local animal populations has allowed the city, and therefore the Castle population as a whole, to flourish.

The presence of these animals has also caused problems, mainly because of the lack of a continuous population in the city after the last group of adventurers to enter the Castle met whatever fate befell them. Farm animals require care and maintenance, and when the city was abandoned previously, cows overran the streets. Thus, the farm animals posed obstacles to success that were overcome by quick-thinking and hard-working Castle inhabitants, setting up the pattern by which they would tackle future obstacles.