Magic in Gunner's Crag

[rastarogue]

I think it is part of the "school" that as interest waned fell into disuse, and is now almost forbidden territory.
We are in the wrong thread.

[Aspen d'Grey]

Isn't that exactly what I said?
It's pretty clear that Magic exists and is use at the Court, but I maintain that most students don't use it or really know of it.

Hmmph, good point, take it to 'About Gunnerkrigg Court?"

[owl]

Well, you're kinda still on topic...

Aspen (and rasta since you said the exact same thing) I agree...certainly the teachers are not unfamiliar with magic and weird supernatural things going on...what with one of them being a dragonslayer and one a sorceress and who knows what else.
But I do think that most of the students are unaware of the Teacher's magic as well. I'm absolutely sure that Annie is one of the only ones that knows Mr. Eglamore's alter-ego, at least...

[Yin]

How sure are we that magic isn't taught to the upper years? After all, we haven't seen much (if any) of them...

[Aspen d'Grey]

Hmm, that's a good point... And Annie and Kat both mention not seeing much of other people, so I suppose that it's possible. Not sure if I believe it, but I like it as a theory. It's a good one because it explains how all our older generation very much appears to know about magic and how to use it, but also explains why no-one but our main characters has really been exposed yet.

[iMacThere4iAm]

aspengrey said:

BTW, is that Bay-zlll or Bah-zlll?

In Britain, It's Bah-zill. The 'i' is not quite silent.

[La Poire]

Perhaps Gunnerkrigg used to be a magic school, but fell into disuse, and was opened up a again as a school specialising in natural science? Or perhaps all the supernatural stuff is a part of the education (I don't mean that they pay the ghosts and whatnot, but the staff seems to know about it); the staff and parents know but the kids are expected to find out for themselves.

[alexthegreater]

I like that idea.

[fjodor]

I think it more likely that GC harbours kids with special talents, magical and/or scientific

EG: Annie sees spirits, Kat has immense technological talent, Zimmy is some sort of telepath/empath, Gamma seems to be a Healer. We know too little of other students to know about their talent. But magic does play an important part; think of the gem that Mort gave to Annie.

[rastarogue]

fjodor said:

I think it more likely that GC harbours kids with special talents, magical and/or scientific

EG: Annie sees spirits, Kat has immense technological talent, Zimmy is some sort of telepath/empath, Gamma seems to be a Healer. We know too little of other students to know about their talent. But magic does play an important part; think of the gem that Mort gave to Annie.

I would then say that in your first year or two, you are given a classical education, and after that they start introducing magic and other para-normal stuff into the curriculum.

[Aspen d'Grey]

Hmm, but if that was true, I think at least SOMEONE would know... I think that our older characters picked up magic on their own, or discovered how to use it somehow, rather than being 'taught'. Maybe it's a teaching that's handed down from one group of students to the next?

I agree that there was something fishy about the paintings, and my first impression was that they were doorways to other worlds as well, a la D'ni.

[La Poire]

One thing I've noticed people using as an argument against Gunnerkrigg being a school for 'special' children, i.e. children with some unique abilities, is the fact that a lot of the students, e.g. Winsbury & Janet, seem perfectly normal, and that they're all given perfectly normal education (except for Doc Disaster). Anyway, the kids might not be aware of their own powers, and perhaps even the ones who've seemed perfectly normal up until now might have some hidden talents. The school might not be a place to give training to 'special' kids as much as a way to supervise and monitor them. That might be an explanation as to why demons and children are kept in the same complex, if it is not really a school but a place where the paranormal is monitored. This would also give an explanation as to why Zimmy was adviced to go there.

[Aspen d'Grey]

I don't even think that they have any 'powers' at all... They're just normal kids going to an elite private school. We get the impression that everyone has powers because all of our main characters do.

[fjodor]

lapoire said:

... the fact that a lot of the students, e.g. Winsbury & Janet, seem perfectly normal, and that they're all given perfectly normal education (except for Doc Disaster).

As far as we know the curriculum that's true. But if I had to pick someone as a candidate for Dragonslayer-in-training it would have to be Janet. ;D

[fjodor]

aspengrey said:

I don't even think that they have any 'powers' at all... They're just normal kids going to an elite private school. We get the impression that everyone has powers because all of our main characters do.

I disagree about GC being an elite private school. We have seen parts of the complex. It's too large and many buildings look like industrial plants.

[alexthegreater]

Would a normal school have a secret train to large animal holing pens?

[fjodor]

Admit that it would be cool...

[fjodor]

aspengrey said:

imacthere4iam said:

No ideas on the symbol carved above the front doors of the Court, and twice on the wall near it...
I can't find any concrete information on it except "A sign from the French hobo or gypsy system meaning 'this is a hospitable house.'"
Maybe that's exactly it, but it seems too simple to be true...

Don't overlook the simple explanations, even in GC Occam's Razer might still apply.

Rasta- yes, they did, but only because they couldn't find anything on Mythology except 2 kiddy books, because the school is dedicated to Sci & Tech.

It _could_ be a lower case Theta character. Which may point towards a pattern of Greek influences (Gamma, Zeta, Minotaur)

[owl]

Okay, so it's an abnormal place converted into a school because it was large and conveniently placed. The teachers were picked because they could "keep the place under control."

Maybe it's a thin place in the fabric of reality, and sometimes things from the Fair Realms squeeze through.

[julieth]

I like La Poire's idea, really. It fits with the library, how there's only a few books about myths in the more modern section. But go into the older section...