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Peak Training

Among the more physically-oriented students of the Magistrum, like the ones in its martial arts program, it’s become a common practice to head into the nearby mountain ranges to train once they’ve been certified to go out into the wilderness without an escort. With the air thin from the high altitudes, and the colder temperatures testing their endurance, those who rose to the challenge would grow that much more capable when returning to low ground.

For Edmund, a tigerkin whose power allows him to fly, it is all the more important to be able to function at high altitudes. Though he can concentrate the oxygen in the air, relying on that alone invites the danger of a dilly spell if he loses his focus: One that would have him plummet down to the ground below. No, far better to simply get used to the reduced flow of oxygen that comes from flying above the peaks.

And while he’s up here, with the winds as strong as they are, there’s no better time than now to work on his magic.

This piece from LittleBadWolf, from August of 2023, was a YCH too perfect for Edmund to pass up. He embodies the spirit of the pose. And at this point, my fondness from training in the mountains is well known.

I needed both a good lore tidbit to write about and a good reason to have him training there instead of in the Magistrum Fitness Center. It was while pondering it that I remember why real athletes in our world train that high up. Connecting the dots at that point was simple enough.