Question Betting pool - pastries on the BIG Gen 2 changes

What are going to be the BIG changes that we'll discover when the Gen 2 kids get to Whateley?
Pastry bets are the usual medium of transfer on these, btw, so let's keep that going.

A chocolate cake on half the staff being turned into anthropormorphic animals through magic and devises.
I see Carson as being a giant hawk personally.

Hmmm...

A cupcake on half the campus being suspended in the sky high above the rest...

A piece of cake on a new cottage nicknamed "the zoo" for students who are shaped in various mammalian, reptilian, avian, etc ways or have ties to an animal that requires housing and care. Would have on-site veterinarian and special dietary care.

A chocolate chip cookie on mandatory "chipping" for all students.

A coffee-cake on the subterranean aspects of the campus being expanded with some of the living quarters to have less impact on the above-ground campus.

A pound-cake on there being an authorized "fight club".

Domoviye wrote: A chocolate cake on half the staff being turned into anthropormorphic animals through magic and devises.
I see Carson as being a giant hawk personally.

I like that... Gunny Bardue would be a bear... Gummi Bears have since been forbidden from the ranges and sims.

A Nilla Cookie that Whateley is now known as Phase's School for Exceptional Students and is a Subsidiary of Marvel Comics which is a Subsidiary of AJG Inc.

A bowl of banana pudding that Jade is Assistant Assistant Headmistress.

An omelette that the original Radioactive Condor Girl costume is secretly on display somewhere in Poe.

More serious...

A chocolate Chip Cookie that all the Traditional Cottages are now four storeys and attic.

A piece of seven layer cake that most of the staff has Retired or been replaced, including Ito, Bardue, and international man of mystery Delarose.

A rootbeer float that the Crystalhall is now the staff cafeteria and the students have a new one.

A doughnut that anyone creating a Minion TM, fails for that semester.

Spiked cheesecake that the Homer Gallery has a "forbidden pranks" section, showcasing shoulder angels amongst other things.

The entire campus got destroyed a while back, and now all the buildings are hard light holograms. And I'll bet The Next Best Thing To Robert Redford on that.

A jammy dodger on someone having built an english policebox that is bigger on the inside.

Please, Radio Active Condor Girl, the movie.

A mozzarella-and-calabresa sausage pastel on one of these having been built:

Elyzia said, “Well, I hope that’s the end of all this madness.”

Circe nodded slowly. “Yes. Definitely. Whateley will never again be foolish or goofy or insane. Except for the popsicle-stick skyscraper. Or the giant magnifying glass. Or the exploding puddings. Or the escalator to nowhere. Or the…”

Elyzia put her head in her hands and whispered, “Oh Gods.”

Sir Lee wrote: A mozzarella-and-calabresa sausage pastel on one of these having been built:

Elyzia said, “Well, I hope that’s the end of all this madness.”

Circe nodded slowly. “Yes. Definitely. Whateley will never again be foolish or goofy or insane. Except for the popsicle-stick skyscraper. Or the giant magnifying glass. Or the exploding puddings. Or the escalator to nowhere. Or the…”

Elyzia put her head in her hands and whispered, “Oh Gods.”

That's why I think they'll build a museum for recording Whateley insanity and goofiness... 2010 legacy perhaps?

A custard cream on all cottages (including Meville) being connected to the tunnel network.

An apple turnover on new additions to the Homer Gallery.

A box of doughnuts on at least one completely new campus building (not merely a replacement or extension of a G1 building) having been built in the past decade.

And perhaps more evilly: a stand of dead trees (maybe even part of The Grove), left (rather than chopped) as a reminder to nature mages to not get too adventurous...

Meanwhile, we know Liz Carson's still Head, and it's likely some staff will still be around - notably Fubar. Bella and Trish may or may not still be on campus, and may or may not have hitched.

Perhaps there's a road tunnel access to the basement of Doyle Medical Centre, so ambulances visiting from off-campus don't have to travel through the main part of campus and the flag restrictions on those days can be relaxed to no 'unusual' students or behaviour visible from Doyle.

I'll place a box of Pakies on there being at least two new underground arenas. One is a replacement for the current simulator complex, and the other is a larger version of Arena 99. In Homecoming, 2026, I gave the former the name Arena 14, and a capacity of 127 students. The later was given the name Arena 15.

I'll also put a package of filled cupcake Oreos on all the combat arenas having been converted to Johnson hard light rooms, courtesy of dashboard herself.

Another potential change that I mental have pictured is the addition of another cottage (probably traditional design) beyond both Twain and Whitman. These would be semi-open versions of poe, housing a mixture of straight students who are comfortable living with gay/bi/lesbian students, and gay/bi/lesbian students who are comfortable being out. I'll put a muffin out on this possibility.

cprime wrote: I'll place a box of Pakies on there being at least two new underground arenas. One is a replacement for the current simulator complex, and the other is a larger version of Arena 99. In Homecoming, 2026, I gave the former the name Arena 14, and a capacity of 127 students. The later was given the name Arena 15.

I'll also put a package of filled cupcake Oreos on all the combat arenas having been converted to Johnson hard light rooms, courtesy of dashboard herself.

Another potential change that I mental have pictured is the addition of another cottage (probably traditional design) beyond both Twain and Whitman. These would be semi-open versions of poe, housing a mixture of straight students who are comfortable living with gay/bi/lesbian students, and gay/bi/lesbian students who are comfortable being out. I'll put a muffin out on this possibility.

There's a tricky thing about a new building at Whateley is that the underground area is Swiss Cheese, though if they put a series of rooting piles (basically to reinforce the ground and possibly find hidden labs and tunnels that shouldn't be there) they might be able to avoid foundation issues...

mhalpern wrote:

cprime wrote: I'll place a box of Pakies on there being at least two new underground arenas. One is a replacement for the current simulator complex, and the other is a larger version of Arena 99. In Homecoming, 2026, I gave the former the name Arena 14, and a capacity of 127 students. The later was given the name Arena 15.

I'll also put a package of filled cupcake Oreos on all the combat arenas having been converted to Johnson hard light rooms, courtesy of dashboard herself.

Another potential change that I mental have pictured is the addition of another cottage (probably traditional design) beyond both Twain and Whitman. These would be semi-open versions of poe, housing a mixture of straight students who are comfortable living with gay/bi/lesbian students, and gay/bi/lesbian students who are comfortable being out. I'll put a muffin out on this possibility.

There's a tricky thing about a new building at Whateley is that the underground area is Swiss Cheese, though if they put a series of rooting piles (basically to reinforce the ground and possibly find hidden labs and tunnels that shouldn't be there) they might be able to avoid foundation issues...

Remember one thing about LGBT issues - Whateley Universe is about where our culture was in the early 50's in terms of tolerance and acceptance of LGBT. We went around the axle on this at least half a dozen times. We decided to not touch the cultural attitudes in Whateley because that's a key to Poe being 'unique'. However, not all of our primary characters are in Poe this time around, so ... yeah, it could have changed but we decided not to.

Yes, the underground is Swiss cheese. And with regard to that -
I know something you don't know

Actually... no, I doubt that building new cottages further away from central campus than existing ones would be much of a problem.

As far as we know, there's a central campus with the admin and class buildings. Underneath this there is a rabbit's warren of tunnels.

And then there are three outsward "spokes" that connect the central tunnel system to Hawthorne (with a Poe siding since November 2006), Twain and Whitman.

There's no evidence that the "warren" extends much beyond the central campus. Proof? Well, consider the tunnel entrances. All the ones we have seen are either in central campus, in one of the cottages or somewhere along the cottage tunnels. In fact, whenever a character had to go from one of the cottages to the Labs tunnels, they take the cottage tunnel to central campus. Those cottage tunnels don't have sidings to the labs, nor downward access to the labs.

So I would think that, IF the labs warren extends to the cottages (a doubtful assumption), it's so damn deep that adding vertical access to them from the cottage tunnels is not considered an attractive proposition. The presence of deep tunnels shouldn't be any significant impediment to building a new cottage on the surface.

And we are talking about land even further away from central campus, that is, even less likely to have tunnels underneath.

BUT... regarding the building of new cottages... well, remember that Whateley went through a considerable expansion in accommodations just a few years previously.

As of 2007, there are seven cottages. One is Melville, six are "traditional" cottages and one is a considerably modified "traditional" one -- Hawthorne.

Ayla's offer for renovations and expansion includes Hawthorne; in fact, it's intended to be the second cottage to be rebuilt. The only one that probably won't be rebuilt (it might undergo some comparatively minor renovation, though) is Melville.

So, each summer from 2007 to 2012 one of the cottages will be significantly enlarged. I project that by the end of the renovations, Whateley will be able to house in excess of 1300 students -- the five "traditional" cottages alone will have around 200 beds each, plus maybe 100 for Hawthorne and perhaps another 200 for Melville. Will the number of students even keep pace with the increase of lodgings, to demand the building of entirely new dorms so soon?

Elrodw said

I know something you don't know

. Good I expect you to know a lot more about this than I do.

Keep in mind also the basis of the tunnel system is a now dry aquifer. Fortunately most plateau upon which the school sits is solid granite and so having in this extensive tunnel system is not as bad as it otherwise could be.

It would be easier to add a floor to the traditional cottages than to build new ones. Each floor adds 76 students. The problem becomes classroom space. Adding 20 more students each year roughly doubles the number of students at Whateley. (Considering that during the 2006-2007 year there were close to 20 students added during the year.)

elrodw wrote: Yes, the underground is Swiss cheese. And with regard to that -
I know something you don't know

A large cinnamon bun on there being a large sinkhole in the middle of campus.


Also, a hollow voice which says "Plugh"

Arcanist Lupus wrote:

elrodw wrote: Yes, the underground is Swiss cheese. And with regard to that -
I know something you don't know

A large cinnamon bun on there being a large sinkhole in the middle of campus.


Also, a hollow voice which says "Plugh"

Nope.
It's actually the former home of a Dhole (skyscraper size Lovecraftian worm thing). One of the students finds some weird egg like things in a barely accessable cavern, and starts hatchiing them. By the second year, after a series of earthquakes, the students have to combat the monstrosities before they sink the entire East Coast of the United States and Canada.
And then Molemen appear.

That's going back a ways.

What? Not a Horta transported on an asteroid to the Earth and now tunneling wildly through the bedrock under New Hampshire? Or a biodevisor going nuts and creating a Horta which is now loose and reproducing? Or, to make it more fun, a BIT-altering experiment that goes horribly wrong and turns a student into a Horta?

elrodw wrote: What? Not a Horta transported on an asteroid to the Earth and now tunneling wildly through the bedrock under New Hampshire? Or a biodevisor going nuts and creating a Horta which is now loose and reproducing? Or, to make it more fun, a BIT-altering experiment that goes horribly wrong and turns a student into a Horta?

And a Psychic Sidhe is the only one that can talk to it...

How about a cherry Torte on mandatory JROTC enrollment for the students with the worst behavior problems.

E. E. Nalley wrote: Keep in mind also the basis of the tunnel system is a now dry aquifer. Fortunately most plateau upon which the school sits is solid granite and so having in this extensive tunnel system is not as bad as it otherwise could be.

Great a giant magic circle carved out of natural materials... and lined with mystic materials.... if it's a containment circle I shudder to think what they expect to have to contain, with that kind of containment Tennyo might have issues breaking out....

mhalpern wrote:

E. E. Nalley wrote: Keep in mind also the basis of the tunnel system is a now dry aquifer. Fortunately most plateau upon which the school sits is solid granite and so having in this extensive tunnel system is not as bad as it otherwise could be.

Great a giant magic circle carved out of natural materials... and lined with mystic materials.... if it's a containment circle I shudder to think what they expect to have to contain, with that kind of containment Tennyo might have issues breaking out....

Tsk tsk you guys worry so much! Jumping at shadows, seeing sinister master plots behind every casual reference and now a confluence of all four classic elements to create a pathway, around the school, that is a nexus of magical learning.

I mean honestly, what's the worst that could happen?

E. E. Nalley wrote:

mhalpern wrote:

E. E. Nalley wrote: Keep in mind also the basis of the tunnel system is a now dry aquifer. Fortunately most plateau upon which the school sits is solid granite and so having in this extensive tunnel system is not as bad as it otherwise could be.

Great a giant magic circle carved out of natural materials... and lined with mystic materials.... if it's a containment circle I shudder to think what they expect to have to contain, with that kind of containment Tennyo might have issues breaking out....

Tsk tsk you guys worry so much! Jumping at shadows, seeing sinister master plots behind every casual reference and now a confluence of all four classic elements to create a pathway, around the school, that is a nexus of magical learning.

I mean honestly, what's the worst that could happen?

I'm not worried, this is cautious excitement and evaluating the odds for the death pool....

Arcanist Lupus wrote: A large cinnamon bun on there being a large sinkhole in the middle of campus.

Except only the adults remember it as a sinkhole; to the students it is The Pond, a favorite hangout on hot summer days... It is also frequented by Fubar, who has acquired a filtration mask by way of Jericho that allows him to get out more. As a way of saying thanks, Fubar always wears swimming trunks from Threads of Joe: Apparel for the Modern Outcast. (This also helps to keep his many fan-girls at bay. Foob worries enough about ethics as it is.)


Also: Bunz! Bun-zuh. Zuh! Bunz! The greatest of human creations. Shunzzzz...

And it's only a campus legend that if you draw a map of the tunnels, it's a mystical summoning figure for something GOO-ish and bad shit will happen.

Couldn't be the reason there are no good tunnel maps, right

With all the defenses and contingencies the school has, I wouldn't be surprised if it was all an advanced defensive reaction plan, trap a GOO the one place that might have the firepower to take it out relatively safely... explains the heck out of the school's initial funding....

of course the solution would be to make partial maps and never have one showing the full layout.

Because it's not like foolhardy or ignorant students would ever try to put those partial maps together....

Kettlekorn wrote: Because it's not like foolhardy or ignorant students would ever try to put those partial maps together....

leave some sections permanently out, and put them all on the same piece of paper such that they don't join up

elrodw wrote: And it's only a campus legend that if you draw a map of the tunnels, it's a mystical summoning figure for something GOO-ish and bad shit will happen.

Couldn't be the reason there are no good tunnel maps, right

Or it could be that spot where the tunnels intersect without intersecting. Two tunnels coexisting in the same timespace.

or... a complete map could open a gateway to Nebraska. poor, zombie infested Nebraska.

You know, I'm putting a slab of laminations down that there is no zombie infection of Nebraska, nor anywhere else either.

Phoenix Spiritus wrote: You know, I'm putting a slab of laminations down that there is no zombie infection of Nebraska, nor anywhere else either.

Just Hollywood, look at all the dead scripts that come back as remakes and sequels.

ah ha ha ha ha ha ha.

The cabal already gave me Nebraska, actually. They may have meant it as a joke at first, but I'm taking it seriously. "Hunger" will be set there.

This amuses me, because in The Rithmatist the source of evil in the world is located in the author's hometown of Lincoln, Nebraska.

Most of the tunnels are likely to be on the plateau of the central campus - even the nearest cottage is several hundred metres away and the tunnel-connected cottages are on the far side of small hills. Besides which, who in their right minds would excavate a new tunnel network right next door to their dorm?!

Anyway, when the foundations are being dug for the cottage extensions, if they encounter a tunnel (or two), they'll almost certainly dig a little below there and stick in a tunnel form thingy so the passageway is unobstructed. When the inner cottages are expanded, they'll probably be added to the tunnel network - either with separate tunnels or expanding the existing service tunnels. As they're on top of low hills, they'll probably have lifts and stairs leading down to tunnel level, with the exception of Melville which will probably have travelators, marble staircases and premium range lifts.

Isn't mapping out the tunnels exactly what Whisper's planning to do with her free time before school resumes?

As for the betting pool? I have a chocolate danish on Sara having inherited the title of Lady Astarte, and therefore be the headmistress of Whateley.

To compound that, I also bet a sometimes-pastry, sometimes-rabid-badger on Gothmog now being part of Whateley staff.

For the serious stuff though, a few shrewsburies on Eldritch being in charge of the ranges and/or sims, Chickenhawk having moved into Imp's staff residence, and FUBAR being AWOL.

Ametros wrote: Isn't mapping out the tunnels exactly what Whisper's planning to do with her free time before school resumes?

As for the betting pool? I have a chocolate danish on Sara having inherited the title of Lady Astarte, and therefore be the headmistress of Whateley.

To compound that, I also bet a sometimes-pastry, sometimes-rabid-badger on Gothmog now being part of Whateley staff.

For the serious stuff though, a few shrewsburies on Eldritch being in charge of the ranges and/or sims, Chickenhawk having moved into Imp's staff residence, and FUBAR being AWOL.

Sara isn't an Avatar, and I don't think that Kayda's spell would work on her.

On the other hand there are a bunch of Avatars at Whateley. So who could inherit the Astarte Force?

Appaloosa
Aquerna
Arachne
Bloodwolf
Bluejay
Hoarder
Kodiak
Loophole
Mezzo
Miasma
Miyet
Mongoose
Peccary
Pejuta
Silverwing
Solange
Suzan Chylds
Swoop
Thunderbird
Tidewater
Timeless
Zhong Lau

Weeeeelll... at some point it was implied that Liz Carson couldn't hold the Champion Force for long because it's apparently too tuned to the "masculine".

But somewhere else it has been said that the Fred Force is the only "force" that was not in some way derived from the Champion Force. So apparently Liz was left with something of the Champion Force that eventually developed into the Astarte Force.

Now, let's postulate that the Astarte Force is as female-tuned as the Champion Force is male-tuned... can you imagine, say, Kodiak getting something that turns him towards the softer side of things? (Mongoose is not trans, but he might -- might -- accept it better. And Bluejay is such a weirdo that he might have no problems switching teams...)

But really, while a strong Avatar power (i.e, a big Hallow) would be probably a requirement, a strong spirit might resist the melding. So I think Kodiak, Loophole, Pejuta and Miyet are definitely out; Bloodwolf, Mezzo, Suzan, Thunderbird and Zhong Lau are iffy. The rest might work.

My donuts would be on Solange, but maybe that's too obvious.

Sir Lee wrote: Weeeeelll... at some point it was implied that Liz Carson couldn't hold the Champion Force for long because it's apparently too tuned to the "masculine".

But somewhere else it has been said that the Fred Force is the only "force" that was not in some way derived from the Champion Force. So apparently Liz was left with something of the Champion Force that eventually developed into the Astarte Force.

Now, let's postulate that the Astarte Force is as female-tuned as the Champion Force is male-tuned... can you imagine, say, Kodiak getting something that turns him towards the softer side of things? (Mongoose is not trans, but he might -- might -- accept it better. And Bluejay is such a weirdo that he might have no problems switching teams...)

But really, while a strong Avatar power (i.e, a big Hallow) would be probably a requirement, a strong spirit might resist the melding. So I think Kodiak, Loophole, Pejuta and Miyet are definitely out; Bloodwolf, Mezzo, Suzan, Thunderbird and Zhong Lau are iffy. The rest might work.

Oh come on! Aqueerna of course!

We all know the squirrel is just there to keep her company until the main force arrives to bring out the true awesomeness that is Squirrel Girl can be released!

A pumpkin pie says that Lamplighter is a teacher there. History of course.

Domoviye wrote: A pumpkin pie says that Lamplighter is a teacher there. History of course.

Having Lampy show up at Whateley would be a bad thing. Caitlin would killhim.

Valentine wrote:

Domoviye wrote: A pumpkin pie says that Lamplighter is a teacher there. History of course.

Having Lampy show up at Whateley would be a bad thing. Caitlin would killhim.

Glad to see I'm not the only one who thought this.

NeoMagus wrote:

Valentine wrote:

Domoviye wrote: A pumpkin pie says that Lamplighter is a teacher there. History of course.

Having Lampy show up at Whateley would be a bad thing. Caitlin would killhim.

Glad to see I'm not the only one who thought this.

Only if he hurts a student.
Amusing detentions such as a hundred page essay on the American Revolution and Lamplighters part in it doesn't count as hurting a student.

Now I just want an Ayla type British student to write the essay talking all about the War with France and how England decided it was a pointless waste of resources to fight the marginally profitable rebellious colonies, and to instead concentrate their resources on the Carrabean and India.

Basically a 100 page essay that completely dismisses the American freedom fighters as unimportant as the British forfeited those colonies in order to gather the resources necessary to protect the Carribean Sugar colonies (that where insanely profitable), and to push into India and the huge profits to be exploited from there.

Economically, the American colonies just weren't worth the effort needed amongst the global war the British were fighting against France.

God I'd love to see the Lamplighters face when reading an essay like that

Lol, Thank you for the micro-scene Domoviye

From another thread:

Morpheus wrote: Quite amusing since over the last week, I've been planning out a future encounter between Imp and Lamplighter.

Calling it now: in G2, Boston is off limits to all Whateley staff and students.

Domoviye wrote:

NeoMagus wrote:

Valentine wrote:

Domoviye wrote: A pumpkin pie says that Lamplighter is a teacher there. History of course.

Having Lampy show up at Whateley would be a bad thing. Caitlin would killhim.

Glad to see I'm not the only one who thought this.

Only if he hurts a student.
Amusing detentions such as a hundred page essay on the American Revolution and Lamplighters part in it doesn't count as hurting a student.

Except he has already hurt Chaka and Riptide, it is just that Caitlin can't leave Whateley to go get him.