{ All ~ Carter ~ Cherub ~ Quuthyr ~ Rynelle ~ Ula :: Walter } { Notes ~ Stats ~ Journal ~ Project ~ Quotes ~ Thoughts }

Senior Study: Musicboxes
~ Miss Cherub Chubb ~

A slim simple journal, bound in brown, slightly tattered around the edges with frequent dog-eared pages and little slips of parchment tucked in, both marking pages and adding further notations.

Initial Brain Storming

Having yet to select a senior project I have settled on musicboxes. More specifically music boxes enhanced to generate a mood in those who hear it play, and hopefully apply a magical effect on them as well. Requires: Box ~ Built, myself. Figure ~ Carved, myself. Levitate? Mechanical? Mechanism ~ Dwarves? Song ~ Bardic Student? <-- Jenneth Spell ~ Myself. Desired possible effects: Sleepiness, Distraction, Happiness, Sadness, Contentment, Attention, Pity, Remorse.. Soothing, Mind Fog

Phase One

Rudimentary at best. Without the mechanism it is difficult to envision the final creation in any form, but I have created a few rough shells of varying dimensions and I have found the size I am happy with. I have begun a few small figures, thus far a standing girl in a dress, a barefoot boy in breeches and vest, and an old round woman with a ball in her lap. ~ I replaced the standing girl with a girl piping in a more active pose and I am much happier with it. Not sure if I can manage to levitate them as I wish. A permanenced levitate will keep them afloat, but neither spin, nor cease when the box is opened and closed. Must remember to ask someone, or perhaps delve into the libraries if I can find some time around all this accursed scribing I must do. Nora and Shelly are short 5 between them ~ Try to squeeze in a few more between classes? Provided I am not waylaid I think I can manage. Nora's short again, 2 this time.

Phase Two

I think I need to try to find a Bardic student to help me. I can enchant the box or the figure, but I cannot seem to get the spell to register the entire object as one piece. I am also having trouble keying the magic to music itself. I am also uncertain how I want the music to play. I could enchant the box to play a song, but then I have two enchantments and the possibility of interference. New music? Who to compose? Jenneth says new and she can. Melody important? Jenneth says it can be, it helps if the melody begins the work the enchantment is to perform. Mechanism vs. Enchantment? Mechanism I think, I want to keep the magic simple at this stage.

Phase Three

Factors Affecting Enchantment Strength: Box Dimensions - Bigger = Stronger Figure Intricacy - Simple = Weaker, Complex = Stronger Material Quality - Base Structure + Embellishments How well the Song suits the Enchantment Jenneth hasn't had much time to compose for me lately, maybe we can test more next week. I don't have much time right now, Yev'in stepped up quotas again. I don't know how I'm ever going to finish when I've hardly time to sleep. At least when I dream I can envision a functioning final product. Cat chewed three of my best boxes to scrap. I haven't the energy to replace them. I'll pick up again when I can.

Phase Four

I can't believe its been five months since I've made any progress. Damn that Yev'in, some of us have projects we're actually trying to complete. I managed to get ahold of some better wood and I'm making some new box shells from it, so far I'm happy with it. Seems to hold a line better than that cheap crap I had to start with, the better the form, the better the function, so my teacher says at least.. considering her 'form' I'm hardly surprised. Work with what I can I guess. I like the piper girl figure, it suits Jenneth's latest tune nicely I think. I'm planning to combine sleepiness and distraction in this one, we'll see how it goes. ~ Success! So far in 13 of 15 tests it has had the desired effect. Thank the merciful heavens I'm finally making some progress. Now if I can only get the mechanism made so Jenneth doesn't have to play it.

Phase


Phase


Phase


Phase


Phase


Phase


Phase