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A Fearsome Performance

It’s the most frightful time of year, and the staff of the Theorum Magistrum like to use it as an opportunity to do something special for the students under their care and tutelage, doubly so since the weather and full moon were perfect for what they had in mind.

This year, they agreed to put on a show where a troop of brave warriors and scholars stand tall against an evil necromancer with designs of world conquest.

Professor Enigma would hardly consider himself much of a thespian, but there are few other people with his knack for illusions and manipulation of the senses, especially on staff. Thus, it falls to him to embody the role of this dastardly villain, crafting lifelike simulacrums of the dearly departed to intimidate heroes and audience alike.

It took everything he had not to break character and start laughing as the students howled and shrieked in terror and excitement.

Another excellent YCH done by LittleBadWolf back in October of 2020, just in time for the spooky season.

I’ve always been fond of finding conventional, everyday uses for magic and other types of supernatural/superhuman powers. They add texture and plausibility to characters and worlds, offering a window into how circumstances affect ordinary life. And illusion/mind magic already comes with a built-in suite of practical applications to demonstrate that principle.

Seeing this YCH on offer, the idea almost instantly popped into my head of Enigma using his illusions to serve almost like a one-man special effects crew. I can picture him as the kind of wolf who genuinely enjoys theater and stage performance, happy to use his talents to ensure that the production goes smoothly.

This is one of those wells I draw on a lot while looking for YCHs to use. What kind of situations, mundane or otherwise, would best suit one of my characters or their skill sets?