[[news:5]]

Turn 5 News

Bedivere Hall Explosion

Multiple tourists photos and videos uploaded to MeTube show a scene eerily reminiscent of the recent explosion at Marischal, with an apparently normal scene of tourism on St Giles being interrupted by an ear-piercing screech as if a thousand nails were grinding down a thousand chalkboards. A massive trembling sound from the ground follows before BOOOM. A blinding white light flashes from the “St John's” frontages which you know Bedivere to be behind, and then most of the footage cuts out as people run for cover, though a few intrepid souls continue to video the ex-college masonry falling from the sky into the street.

-MeTube.com

Re: The 18th November Explosion

Please note that all scheduled events in College are cancelled for the foreseeable future. It is not known at this time what caused the explosion, which seemed to come from the underground tunnels below Hall and the Kitchens. We are devastated to report that 87 students and staff are now confirmed dead, mostly from the complete collapse of Staircases XIII, IX and X into Old Quad. Over a hundred students were treated with healing magics immediately after the disaster, and are now recovering. Seven more students remain in a critical condition which is beyond our resident healers' abilities, and they have our best wishes and support for a full recovery. (Please contact the College Nurse if you believe you are able to help with their healing.)

At present, we recommend that all resident students and staff seek accommodation elsewhere while investigations are ongoing. We hope to recruit help from the Heritage Trust to rebuild the college, but that is a long-term goal. Given the expense of temporary accommodation in Oxford, our sister colleges at Durham and Cor Tewdws have opened their doors and invited anyone to stay with them in the interim while Bedivere recovers.

Please believe we are doing all we can to establish the cause of this terrible event, to ensure it can never happen again. We are working closely with our colleagues at Marischal to establish whether the two explosions were caused in the same way, or even by the same person.

A minute's silence will be observed for the dead on Friday 28th November at 2pm.

- A message from Dean Verity Grantwood to all Bedivere alum, which is quickly spread onwards around all Wytch communities.

Coven at Cor Tewdws

Following the surprising recovery of Cor Tewdws from wherever it was that it had gone, reports are that it has opened its door to its Bedivere fellows who have been made homeless. It had previously been planned to return to Bedivere for the next Coven, but as that obviously will not be possible in the immediate future, Cor Tewdws have stepped forward to offer to host it. Master Robert Dewinwediehangachhaenmawreddog will be the main host.

(You are all sent a small map showing Cor Tewdws' location near Llantwit Major, and instructions for how to pat appropriate nearby sheep on the head to ensure it becomes visible, as the college apparently spends much of its time in camouflage.)

Johnson Murdered! Perpetrators In Custody

Mr Giles Johnson of famed stagecraft pair Johnson and Clark was shot dead at the Magic Sphere theatre in recent weeks. His business partner, Rose Clark, was investigated after allegations that she and Johnson were themselves members of the infamous 'Red Coven' Wytch terrorist organisation, but no evidence was found and she was released without charge. She is said to be utterly devastated, and has publically thanked Miss Melissa Hendrick for her bold actions. Mr Elias Attwood, recently released on bail following the discovery of explosives at his home in Leicestershire, was revealed to be a leading member of the Red Coven. Miss Hendrick used one of the terrorists' own guns to dispatch Attwood before he could kill again, and has been released without charge.

Attwood's accomplices, Mr Ray Michaels and Mr Kaidan Rockwell-Hawthorne, who also took part in the shooting, were later identified as the pair responsible for the brutal kidnapping, torture and murder of top HMMR Agent Black two months ago. Both have been arrested and placed in the most high-security facilities in the country, based in Dartmoor, and were sentenced to life imprisonment with no chance for bail or parole. Sarah Fielding stated her relief that three such dangerous Wytches are no longer threatening the British populace, and hopes that Agent Black's family find some peace with the knowledge that justice has been wrought.

Red Coven Successfully Disbanded; Joint Wytch-HMMR Force Successful

HMMR has made a recent public announcement regarding the success of a joint Wytch-HMMR and Met PD task force which successfully apprehended the Red Coven leaders. Head of Public Relations, Gregory Newell, had this to say: “A huge step forward has been made for relations between HMMR and Wytches. Together we were able to bring the terrorists, Elias Attwood, Kaiden Hawthorne, and Ray Michaels, to justice. It was unfortunate that the actions of a one Aiden Mackenna could not be prevented and HMMR would like to extend its deepest condolances to the family members and friends of those lost in the bomb attack in Bristol. Hopefully we can all take comfort that the Red Coven threat is over and those who can be brought to justice, have been.” Public response to the task force is mixed as some call into question the effectiveness at dealing with the Red Coven given the 45 people who died and the 63 people injured in the explosion in Bristol.

The Daily Post

Protestors rioted outside the Memorial Service for both Aiden Mackenna and Elias Attwood. During the funeral procession persons went so far as to throw rotten food at the mourning friends and families. Others merely stood outside making it difficult to people to attend and holding signs that read: Murderers don’t deserve to be Mourned. BRISTOL BOMBER. Eventually police broke up the crowds to leave the mourners in peace. It is understandable that people would be so upset by the actions of these two individuals, and this reporter only hopes that everyone can move on from the event and find peace. Our condolences go out to all those who have lost a family member or friend during the course of these events.

-The Moon

Lich Defeated

The leaderships of all the main Wytch factions have come forward in immense celebration and praise of the fine team of Wytches who have finally succeeded in containing and sealing away the Necromantic monstrosity known as the Lich. In particular Persephone Lupton, who has fought this battle tirelessly for many months now, receives particular recognition for her contributions, as do Nate Smyth, Richard Chandler and Sister Moon, whose research efforts are said to have been instrumental in the rediscovery of the magics once used by the great Merlin to bind the Lich in times long since past. Gratitude is also sent to the innumerable masters of the Evocative, Protective and Illusory arts who have in recent months helped to fight back the Lich and keep his Zombie Hordes at bay.

HMMR are also incredibly grateful for all that the Wytch community has done to bring this situation under control. In a brief statement, Gregory Newell emphasised how this effort demonstrated the value of allowing Wytchs the freedom to deal with the kinds of magical threats that even the Magical Regulator cannot contain.

The Army are currently said to be restricting all access to Mount Snowdon, where the Lich is believed to have been defeated, so that the now-inanimate remains of the Zombies he rose can be identified, and their bodies returned to their relatives. The future of Mount Snowdon itself remains in question, however, and it is unclear if it will be reopened to the general public, given the risk of certain terrorists elements attempting to release the Lich for their own purposes, now that its existence is public knowledge.

Another Change of Leadership at Bedivere

Professor Geraint Swyngyfareddwyr, recently-appointed Master of Bedivere College, has been suspended as Master after a vote of no confidence by the governing body. No further details are forthcoming, although you understand that an investigation was being undertaken before the college exploded. Due to the fact that bursar Barnaby Stanwix is on medical leave, the college chaplain David Williams was convinced to take on the role of Master in the interim.

Wytch Restrictions Repealed, Magical Advisor to the Cabinet Appointed

After a lengthy process of campaigning and political manoeuvring a bill has passed parliament which will repeal the restrictions on Wytches occupying positions of authority. While Wytches are unable to use their magic to gain an unfair advantage over norms, there is now nothing preventing a Wytch with sufficient qualifications and ability from being promoted to a high position in a company, being elected to an office, or serving in the public sector.

As a result of his tireless public campaign work on this and similar matters, the wytch David Williams has been appointed as Number 10’s official Magical Advisor.

NDL Subdued

The NDL appears to have suffered numerous setbacks in recent weeks, with a vigilante hero, identified as Canadian Gabriel Nightingale, beginning to appear at more and more of their rallies. While it is difficult to ascertain the cause of the violence, it has been clear that this vigilante has repeatedly ended it, leaving opponents crippled and groaning in his wake with seemingly unnatural fighting skill. Wytch communities are said to have hailed him as a protector. Combined with a lawsuit from Sebastien Sterling opening the floodgate for harassment suits and their still leaderless state, the NDL seem to be increasingly ineffective. However, polls show a large proportion of the public are still extremely concerned about the potential threat of rogue Wytches, especially given the scale of recent explosions at Bedivere and Marischal.

Soul Sister Action Figures Available!

Following an amazing response on kick starter, the company Wytch Topic would like to announce that starting this December, just in time for Christmas, a new line of Soul Sister action figures and accessories will be available at any of their locations in Oxford, London, Manchester and York. The action figures will have movable joints and voice action response with common Soul Sister catch phrases. Look forward to taking home your very own Soul Spark, Soul Soil, Soul Spring, Soul Zephyr and Soul Soul along with limited edition Soul Shock. Pre-orders are being accepted until the first of December. A portion of the profits from every figure sold will go to IPSCAN. Become a #SoulSupporter today.

Heart Maiden Action Figures Also Available!

Hot on the heels of that exciting news, it emerges that the Heart Maidens have also been immortalised in their own range of merchandise - action figures, branded sleepwear, lunch boxes and even online stories about how the Heart Maidens' power could overcome all obstacles if only people would stop trying to steal their powers or put them down. The marketing for this range doesn't seem to have been as good, but the distribution to major department stores is impressive, and children can soon be seen acting out fights between Heart Heart, Burnt Heart, Light Heart, Frozen Heart and Stone Heart. (At least, until the Soul Sister figures become available too, when presumably the two sides will battle each other in playgrounds up and down the country.)

Diablo Magic Takes to the Net

Diablo Magic Supplies, under anonymous new ownership following Jordan Havenbrook's arrest and imprisonment in September and destruction of a majority of property, has emerged from a recent court case to undo the recent merger with Firebrand clubs - awarding 60% of the formerly joint assets to one Ms Maria DeMoreno - to announce on its website that it will now be an online order service only, but with bespoke items to be ordered on request.

Kaomancy For Everyone

“Some wytches do not want you to have access to this information. They consider it 'dangerous' and would rather keep it for themselves.
I would suggest that those individuals pursue a career at HMMR, since they obviously see their brothers and sisters as a threat which needs to be contained.

I have more faith in my fellow wytches and norms alike. Yes, the information provided here could be used for evil, but it could also be used to achieve great things for all of humanity. I believe that on balance the good people far outnumber the bad, and that sharing this information freely will allow those good people to properly recognise and counter any attempts at causing harm. Attempting to hide information such as this is no defence, since the individuals with the fewest scruples will be the ones most able to go to the lengths needed to gain access to it.

If you feel similarly to me and have access to any secret or lost information about magic, share it freely. Let others benefit from it, so they in turn may return the favour.
If you are a researcher, whether a wytch or a norm, take this information and use it to better the world. Collaborate and improve upon what we now know, then share your results.

I believe our world has a bright future ahead if and only if we can all learn to work together.”

-wytchyleaks.org.uk, a new website containing photocopied images of what appear to be Nitro's personal notes on the subject of Kaomancy, also known as chaos magic. The website is taken down by HMMR after a few days, but the images have escaped and are now well spread around the internet.

OOC: see the page Wytchyleaks

Unknown Entity Rains Destruction in Warwick

Shaky camera footage shows a family playing in a park in Warwick, a father recording his two young daughters playing on a climbing frame when suddenly one points into the sky.

“Look, Daddy, a rainbow!” she smiles, laughing excitedly, clapping her hands as her sister looks too.

“Yay!” she shouts and the camera turns to see a rainbow forming through the sky, except it's not a bent one, it's a straight line… with smoke coming out the back of it…

“Kids,” the father says, “I think we should head home…”

“But I wanna see the rainbow!” protests the first daughter

“I don't think it's a rainbow…”

“Kitty!” squeaks the other, and the father turns the camera to her, before turning it back to the sky where she's pointing, zooming in on the end of the rainbow to show an enormous black and white cat, blazing in light and in a suit of golden armour. It looks angry.

“Girls, we've gotta run!” the father shouts, and picks up the younger in his arms, the other running after, looking scared.

“Daddy, why are we running?” she shouts, trying to keep up, before there's suddenly a huge explosion from behind, metres away from the young girl who shrieks and runs.

The camera footage cuts out here.

- uploaded to MeTube.com

Numerous similar videos confirm the same event happening in numerous places across the city, before one shows the creature heading into Warwick castle and not leaving…

Merlin Spotted Across Britain

Excitement has spread across the country due to repeated reports of 'Merlin' sightings, including London, a children's hospital, and various sites in Wales. Historians have speculated that, as magic is now known to exist, it is possible that Merlin himself was, and is, real. Will Arthur also return to claim the throne of England? Witnesses claim that Merlin is friendly, though understandably somewhat disorientated by modern life, and that he seems extremely fond of tea.

Sudden Appearance of Disturbing Voids

Twisted black holes in the sky have been appearing all over the country, sparking widespread fear. These vary in size, mostly quite small, and so far no consequent effects have been noted, but the nation is on edge and speculation rampant, everything from an unknown effect of climate change, to some form of new wytch spell, to extraterrestrial activity. Authorities and scientists alike are yet to offer an official explanation. All that is known is that more and more keep appearing, with no apparent pattern or explanation. There seem to be two particularly disturbing ones growing in London - one directly in the air over the London Eye, and one which has formed a large crack in the outer wall of the Tower of London, just above Traitor's Gate.

New Fast Food Chain: Tegan's Vegans

Restaurants have opened in London and Birmingham, 'Tegan's Vegans', serving high-quality vegan food at reasonable prices. They've been a great success so far, touting their locally-produced fruit and vegetables as a great way of helping the environment while cutting costs. The neighbours have also commented that it's lovely how few deliveries they seem to get, as delivery drivers always seem so loud early in the morning!

"No Kaomancy Here! Risk of Explosion!"

Large sign boards with the above words on have begun to be put up at the entrance to many known magical sites - particularly Durham College and Cor Tewdws. It is thought that a sign at Bedivere College was not put up before the recent explosion occurred.

Rumours

  • Graffiti: 3D road-art depicting a lamp-post, and the Trenchcoat rat reading “Michael Goves Guide to a Rilly good Education”, and doubled over in laughter.
  • Told you Geraint would be bad for Bedivere…
  • Tamora Torquemada has a Chair made of Secrets
  • #helphelpmydadsgonemad
  • Johnson and Clark were framed!
  • Can vegetarians do blood magic?
  • Who even owns a blackboard any more?
  • #chaos
  • One of those swords isn't even Excalibur anyway
  • Elias Attwood was framed!
  • Zombie Style: the new fashion trend for winter?
  • …nyanyanyanyanyanyanyanyanyanyanyan…
news/5.txt · Last modified: Tue 3 Jun 2014, 15:14:31 UTC by gm_roisin
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