Tales From the Arcane University- NEW PLAYABLE STORY!

Every Erraynian knows of The Arcane University. This impressive structure dates back to the very earliest days of Errayne. Based in the great city of Allestrium, the University has always been the premier place for magical and runic learning. The more mundane studies are also done here for those with little aptitude for magic; mathematics and languages, music and herbalism, economics, animal husbandry and weapons training. Indeed, anyone wishing to become one of the famous Rune-knights must first prove themselves at the Arcane University. Everyone, wealthy or poor, male and female, is welcome to come and study.
Our story begins on a bright spring day, just before the Feast of Peljae. The world is open to you, young student. What you make of it, is yours alone…

Faraday was bored. The rest of her year-mates were in class, perfect bleaters that they were, with Professor Never-Smiles Arcturen. Not that you’d catch her dead inside on a beautiful day like today. Besides, who needed Theory of Runic Formulas? Not someone like her. She was going to be an Allestrium Guard, a weaponsmistress, and that was that. None of that ridiculous light-flashing for her. Besides, two of her brothers were already mages. The Audira Keep didn’t need a third. She raised her arms high, stretching long and lean like a cat, and glanced down from the oak branch she had been resting on. It was far, but not too far. Quickly, she balanced on the extreme edge of the branch, found her center, and launched herself off.
It was a beautiful jump, with perfect form, and she landed on the balls of her feet with a grin, startling the gardeners nearby. They shook their heads over the girl, but didn’t comment. Everyone knew Faraday. She was sixteen, tall and lean and wild as an unbroken stallion. She was the seventh child of Lord Moren Audira, an Airetaim noble who held the prestigious title of third on the ruling council of Bristonia. To be honest, she was Lord Audira’s only bastard child, and her mother was a Dinti peasant woman.
But rather than keep her out of sight, as most nobles were wont to do, the Lord had a fit of what Faraday could only think was temporary insanity, and declared her a child-in-right. To be sure, it wasn’t her looks that did it. Her father was Hawk-Winged, tall and elegant, with a commanding voice and gracious demeanor. She had her father’s height and eerie hawk-yellow eyes, but that was it. Her hair was common brown, cut short in spikes at the back and long at the front. She may have been called pretty, but never beautiful- her chin was too stubborn, her cheekbones too high, and her mouth too wide for her pixie face.
So, she was raised with her full-blooded Airetaim siblings. And it was there that Faraday learned to watch her back. They never took kindly to their near-sister. There were always snide remarks and comments meant to hurt, insults to her mother and her dear Dinti grandmother, little treasures gone missing from her room and her always blamed and punished for it, and the Lady of the Keep not only turned a blind eye, but encouraging her devil-brood to further mischief. Faraday always being tripped up, messed up, bullied, made to look like a fool in front of everyone if she wasn’t careful. Her only advocates were her eldest near-brother, honorable Mahon, and her sibling closest in age, a mischievous boy named Anluan. But Mahon was too busy being taught to be Lord of the Keep to help her anymore, and ‘Luan was well on his way to becoming a Rune-knight. Which brought her…
…Here. The Arcane University. When Anluan left, and Mahon too busy with his own life, Faraday could almost see the wolves closing in on her. And two of the wolves were rune-trained and able to make her life more miserable than it was. So, she petitioned her Lord-Father, begged really, to get him to send her away to University. She would be close to her dear Anluan, and could maybe learn a shield or two to keep out her other near-brothers’ magic.
But that’s all she would touch of magic; shields. She saw what magic did to her already pompous, hateful brothers; she would be damned if she let it do that to her. She would rely on her own strength....
The class bell rang with a deafening clang, startling Faraday out of her reverie. If she wanted to make sure she was able to STAY at the University, she had better make it to at least one of her classes. With that, and a great big sigh, she took off at an easy, flowing run over the green…