Where is the town of New Dominion?
New Dominion is Located on the southwestern quadrant of Hancock County , Illinois.
It is one of seven substantial towns that are openly magical, and the oldest in the Midwest. The population in 2000 was 958 full-time residents. On Thursday and Saturday nights, there many times that number, owing to the large number of out-of-towners that choose to undertake their commerce in our streets.
New Dominion fills an important place in American Wizaeding society!
The North American Magical Express System (called NAMES) has a large postal bird feeding and licensing station here, atop of the Post Office. Also, it is a sanctioned relay and rest station for postal animals on duty. Here is more about the NAMES.
The community has branches of two large wizarding banks, Gringott's and Eastern Trust. Also, there are three independent financial houses: Mariners' Bank, Farrow Bank and Trust, and the New Dominion Academy Credit Union.
There are Three Grocers, one General Mercantile Store, the Odeon Playhouse, the headquarters of the Rancher and Planters' Cooperative Union, the New Dominion Academy, and many substantial businesses.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
2 Bits, 4 Bits, 6 Bits, a Dollar....
The United States Uses a variant on the muggle monetary system. It is easily worked out, and the exchange rate is usually about 2:1 with the muggle counterpart.
The smallest denomination is the half-pence, which is noted as a fraction at the very end of the price, or by following the value with the the letter h. Next is the pence(penny), noted as a p at the end of the value. 10 pence makes a dime. Twelve and a half pence makes up a bit, which is noted by a b at the end of a value. Eight bits makes a dollar, which is noted by a d after the value. Some liberal wizards still use the muggle symbol of a vertically slashed "s" ($)
Thus Three dollars, five bits and three and one-half pence would read like this: 3d5b3p1h. Also correct would be: 3d66p.
Less common, but still often seen:
Two and a half dollars is a quarter (not to be confused with the muggle quarter, which is roughly equivalent to 1b.) It's use is somewhat archaic. If used at all, the quarter is shown as a q after the value.
Five dollars is a crow. If denoted at all, it will be as an upper-case C after the value.
Ten dollars is an eagle. Its sign is an upper-case E.
Twenty dollars is a double Eagle. There is no formal way to denote a twenty, it is most commonly 20d, or 2E.
Coin is minted in 25, 50, 100 dollar denominations, and each are noted the same way a single dollar is.
Bills are seldom issued, and only then by individual banks, to be used according to their own rules. More commonly a draft is issued for amounts much larger than a few hundred dollars.
A sample draft reads:
(date) (Name of bank, and branch if there are more than one)
Please pay unto (name of payee), the sum of (payment amount, in words), upon demand.
(Signature of account holder or responsible parties)
(Seal)
Every witch and wizard has a seal once they come of age. A traditional sixteenth birthday present is the seal-it is one of the milestones of "growing up." If they don't have one made for them, they can use their want to put an indelible and unique "seal" to the document. Forgeries have taken place, but as forging a magical seal is so difficult, they are rare, and usually more bother than they are worth.
The smallest denomination is the half-pence, which is noted as a fraction at the very end of the price, or by following the value with the the letter h. Next is the pence(penny), noted as a p at the end of the value. 10 pence makes a dime. Twelve and a half pence makes up a bit, which is noted by a b at the end of a value. Eight bits makes a dollar, which is noted by a d after the value. Some liberal wizards still use the muggle symbol of a vertically slashed "s" ($)
Thus Three dollars, five bits and three and one-half pence would read like this: 3d5b3p1h. Also correct would be: 3d66p.
Less common, but still often seen:
Two and a half dollars is a quarter (not to be confused with the muggle quarter, which is roughly equivalent to 1b.) It's use is somewhat archaic. If used at all, the quarter is shown as a q after the value.
Five dollars is a crow. If denoted at all, it will be as an upper-case C after the value.
Ten dollars is an eagle. Its sign is an upper-case E.
Twenty dollars is a double Eagle. There is no formal way to denote a twenty, it is most commonly 20d, or 2E.
Coin is minted in 25, 50, 100 dollar denominations, and each are noted the same way a single dollar is.
Bills are seldom issued, and only then by individual banks, to be used according to their own rules. More commonly a draft is issued for amounts much larger than a few hundred dollars.
A sample draft reads:
(date) (Name of bank, and branch if there are more than one)
Please pay unto (name of payee), the sum of (payment amount, in words), upon demand.
(Signature of account holder or responsible parties)
(Seal)
Every witch and wizard has a seal once they come of age. A traditional sixteenth birthday present is the seal-it is one of the milestones of "growing up." If they don't have one made for them, they can use their want to put an indelible and unique "seal" to the document. Forgeries have taken place, but as forging a magical seal is so difficult, they are rare, and usually more bother than they are worth.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Rain, snow, gloom of night...
Almost Every letter is airmail around here! Our feathered friends are always busy at work, keeping the mail moving, and all they ask is a little food and water, and a treat and kind word every now and again. Owls are still used here the same as across the pond, but they are expensive and aren't really suited for areas of high muggle concentration. Crows are often seen in the rural areas. Homing pigeons are fast gaining popularity, because they are smart and able, and don't stand out.
The laws governing postal carrier animals are very clearly written. They are afforded great protection, and interfering with one in any fashion is a great crime. If one stops to drink it must be given water, unless dire circumstances prevent it.
They are required to get a license, which is issued after they deliver five test messages to the right places and return with the proper parcels/envelopes. They must get immunized and be trained to avoid muggles.
All three birds are sanctioned by NAMES, which is parent agency of the the Postal Department. There is no "official choice" in carrier, as long as the license is kept up on it.
The laws governing postal carrier animals are very clearly written. They are afforded great protection, and interfering with one in any fashion is a great crime. If one stops to drink it must be given water, unless dire circumstances prevent it.
They are required to get a license, which is issued after they deliver five test messages to the right places and return with the proper parcels/envelopes. They must get immunized and be trained to avoid muggles.
All three birds are sanctioned by NAMES, which is parent agency of the the Postal Department. There is no "official choice" in carrier, as long as the license is kept up on it.
Are you addressing me, sir?
The String of nonsense lines after a street address lines isn't so meaningless as it seems!
There are three parts to this number: The Belt, the Range, and the Section.
The BELT is the general north/south location. Remember, a belt goes round your waist, and a belt goes round the earth. The border between the U.S.A. and Canada is B1. Going North, the Belt number is always supplied with an "N" before it. ("Bn2" is in Canada, B2 is in the U.S.)
The RANGE is the general east/west location. San Francisco, CA in the westernmost boundary of Range 1, and the numbers get larger as one goes eastward. West of San Francisco, the Range Numbers always have a "W" before them. (Rw1 is Angel Island, R1 is Nobb Hill.)
The Section used Alphabet and numerals to further pinpoint the location. Beginning at the northwest, the east/west is expressed in letters, all of which are used except "I" and "O", to prevent confusion reading. North/south is expressed in numerals 1-24.
This code was adopted roughly the same time the muggle ZIP code was introduced. It was designed to let long-distance postal carriers find the general area quickly.
There are three parts to this number: The Belt, the Range, and the Section.
The BELT is the general north/south location. Remember, a belt goes round your waist, and a belt goes round the earth. The border between the U.S.A. and Canada is B1. Going North, the Belt number is always supplied with an "N" before it. ("Bn2" is in Canada, B2 is in the U.S.)
The RANGE is the general east/west location. San Francisco, CA in the westernmost boundary of Range 1, and the numbers get larger as one goes eastward. West of San Francisco, the Range Numbers always have a "W" before them. (Rw1 is Angel Island, R1 is Nobb Hill.)
The Section used Alphabet and numerals to further pinpoint the location. Beginning at the northwest, the east/west is expressed in letters, all of which are used except "I" and "O", to prevent confusion reading. North/south is expressed in numerals 1-24.
This code was adopted roughly the same time the muggle ZIP code was introduced. It was designed to let long-distance postal carriers find the general area quickly.
What the hell is a Carrol's Mirror?
Carroll's Mirror: (Colloquial term, the proper term is "combination mirror") So called because it was invented by Robert M. Carrol in 1820 in reaction to the scarcity of imported floo powder after the British embargo of 1813. A mirror, used in pairs or sets, which allow swift transportation and communication between places. It is a bastard cousin to the floo, and fills the niche created by the lack of fireplaces in modern buildings.
Carroll's Mirrors come in two varieties: the talker (properly called a "single combination") and the walker (properly called a "double combination".) The walker can transport people and things, the talker acts as more as a telephone. The individual mirrors are called "stations."
Talkers:
Talkers can only project an image, no physical matter can pass through them. They can be made from common float glass, and don't require a license to operate or install, and are reasonably cheap (talk is cheap!) Small, short-range sets are frequently given to children as gifts, and are usually around 5d a pair. More powerful sets, or larger glasses are more expensive, with the most common selling between 50d and 75d. a piece. Talker stations can be had with any number of functions and features. Depending on the range and size, stations must be kept a few inches apart to avoid crosstalk or interference. Where there are many sets, such as a school or business, special charms are used to dampen wild signals.
To use a single combination, one first has to calibrate it. Most often, this consists of the person who owns it laying hands on it and using a certain phrase or command. This establishes ownership of the station, the command to activate it, and the way it responds to a call. (A good example is the Model 22, made by the former Northern Lights Co. of Prince Edward Island. This mid-priced model was in production for almost forty years, and was for several years the top selling Single combination in the states. The Calibration sequence would be as follows: Face Mirror silver side up. Lay hands on either side of it. Say "Calibrate" and tap two opposing corners twice at the same time with the fingertips. After the mirror flashes, say your full name, and nicknames. Mirror will glow. Tap the centre of the mirror and say "answer" to immediately open a connection, "call for answer" to hear the caller summon you, or "signal" for a non-verbal summons (then state the signal-eg. "bell," "flash," "knock," etc.") After the flash say"finished." If the glass flashes twice it was calibrated correctly.)
Even with a well-adjusted station, the charms will "drift" over time, with the result that the stations will have fuzzy or no picture or sound. Unusually cold weather, storms, and electrical interference will all have an effect on reception. Lightning, in particular, is a great annoyance, and the smaller stations are particularly susceptible. Most stations above the very cheapest have some form of "tuning" in.
A single combination that is part of a fixed installation, or tied to one business or institution can be included in a Wide Area Single Station System. The Station will operate in the same way, but will be assigned a unique number, instead of a name. The number will be assigned based upon the location of the station. (New Dominion Academy is located in the NEW DOMINION area, and St. Jerome Dr. is in town, so it receives the designation of "1". There are 31 numbers in use ahead of it, so it gets the next available number, which is 32. This their WASS# is" NEw Dominion 1-32. or 631-32. Saying either will connect you to their main office.
Some common names of Single Combination Stations include:
Pocket Owl, who makes small lightweight and "toy" sets.
Northern Lights Co. (no longer in business, but their products are still very common in the states)
Peerless Transport Inc. They make large single stations, as well as a wide assortment of double stations.
Maxwell & Davis, makers of the wildly popular "Golden" series of desktop models, as well as the designer wall series from interior designer Lucien Dabney.
MagikMirra, who make a complete assortment of designer-inspired desktop stations, as well as personal stations.
Conover, who make and import medium-sized wall stations, and a few larger desk stations.
Walkers:
A walker, or double combination, is expensive, and must be installed, maintained and operated by a licensed individual. Getting a license to operate is the simplest, followed by the maintenance license, and finally the installer license. While the varying layers of licensing may sound unreasonably onerous, it is all for the users' own good. There are plenty of things that can go wrong with a double combination, and instead of simply carrying voice signals it is carrying you and me! The MTA (Mage transport Administration) is responsible for the licensing of these facilities.
The operator license entitles one to use their own station, or other stations with the permission of the owner. Getting this license requires 10 hours of training, a written and practical test, and can be had after age 14. Children can (and frequently do) learn to use a walker before then, and most of the time nobody cares. Citations for underage use of the double combination are rare, and are usually only given in conjunction with other citations.
The maintenance license entitles one to perform simple calibration and repairs to individual stations, and renew the first layer of charms. Those responsible for a number of stations are usually required to secure an operator license, due to the problems that many stations together present. This license requires a 40 hour class, written and practical exam, and is only offered to those 18 and above.
The installer license entitles one to install and perform all maintenance to double stations, both for themselves and others. This is the license that must be obtained by anyone wishing to repair or build walkers for a living. This license is the result of a special training, usually offered by manufacturers of combination mirrors. A test is required, wherein the candidate must disassemble and reassemble a double combination of unknown make and age, and correct any faults that may be present. Unpardoned felons are not allowed this license.
Calibrating a double combination is a delicate matter. Each charm has a specific purpose, and changing one may correct one fault, but cause another. Because so many operations are taking place at one time, the smallest missallignment in charms can cause a lot of trouble. A good example of this would be the locator charm, which coupled to both a projection and carrier charm, determines the proper arrival station, and clears the temporal path there. The proper sequence is: Locater charm (On completion of spoken directions, this charm directs the station to clear the path to your destination) Projection Charm (should complete approximately .2 second from speaking destination name; which determines that the path is free, and establishes that a connection exits with the destination) and finally the Carrier Charm (begins as soon as you touch the surface of the "mirror," which carries your physical being to the arrival station,)
A deviation of .1 second in any of the three charms is enough to bungle a connection, and .2 second would possibly be fatal! Ironicaly, a locator charm that is wildly out of calibration is less dangerous than one slightly out, because you will simply emerge from the wrong station on the arriving end, whereas if the set is only slightly miscalibrated you may miss the intended arrival but not be far enough to one side or the other to make it out of another station.) Modern sets (after 1990) have an "all or nothing" charm in effect, which essentially refuses the connection and loops you back to the departure station if you "land" between stations. This charm can be added to older stations, but they have to be completely divested of all charms first, for it is among the first applied, and must be in effect for all of the other charms to operate. This means that it is often cheaper and easier to replace stations, unless the old one holds great sentimental or financial value.
Carroll's Mirrors come in two varieties: the talker (properly called a "single combination") and the walker (properly called a "double combination".) The walker can transport people and things, the talker acts as more as a telephone. The individual mirrors are called "stations."
Talkers:
Talkers can only project an image, no physical matter can pass through them. They can be made from common float glass, and don't require a license to operate or install, and are reasonably cheap (talk is cheap!) Small, short-range sets are frequently given to children as gifts, and are usually around 5d a pair. More powerful sets, or larger glasses are more expensive, with the most common selling between 50d and 75d. a piece. Talker stations can be had with any number of functions and features. Depending on the range and size, stations must be kept a few inches apart to avoid crosstalk or interference. Where there are many sets, such as a school or business, special charms are used to dampen wild signals.
To use a single combination, one first has to calibrate it. Most often, this consists of the person who owns it laying hands on it and using a certain phrase or command. This establishes ownership of the station, the command to activate it, and the way it responds to a call. (A good example is the Model 22, made by the former Northern Lights Co. of Prince Edward Island. This mid-priced model was in production for almost forty years, and was for several years the top selling Single combination in the states. The Calibration sequence would be as follows: Face Mirror silver side up. Lay hands on either side of it. Say "Calibrate" and tap two opposing corners twice at the same time with the fingertips. After the mirror flashes, say your full name, and nicknames. Mirror will glow. Tap the centre of the mirror and say "answer" to immediately open a connection, "call for answer" to hear the caller summon you, or "signal" for a non-verbal summons (then state the signal-eg. "bell," "flash," "knock," etc.") After the flash say"finished." If the glass flashes twice it was calibrated correctly.)
Even with a well-adjusted station, the charms will "drift" over time, with the result that the stations will have fuzzy or no picture or sound. Unusually cold weather, storms, and electrical interference will all have an effect on reception. Lightning, in particular, is a great annoyance, and the smaller stations are particularly susceptible. Most stations above the very cheapest have some form of "tuning" in.
A single combination that is part of a fixed installation, or tied to one business or institution can be included in a Wide Area Single Station System. The Station will operate in the same way, but will be assigned a unique number, instead of a name. The number will be assigned based upon the location of the station. (New Dominion Academy is located in the NEW DOMINION area, and St. Jerome Dr. is in town, so it receives the designation of "1". There are 31 numbers in use ahead of it, so it gets the next available number, which is 32. This their WASS# is" NEw Dominion 1-32. or 631-32. Saying either will connect you to their main office.
Some common names of Single Combination Stations include:
Pocket Owl, who makes small lightweight and "toy" sets.
Northern Lights Co. (no longer in business, but their products are still very common in the states)
Peerless Transport Inc. They make large single stations, as well as a wide assortment of double stations.
Maxwell & Davis, makers of the wildly popular "Golden" series of desktop models, as well as the designer wall series from interior designer Lucien Dabney.
MagikMirra, who make a complete assortment of designer-inspired desktop stations, as well as personal stations.
Conover, who make and import medium-sized wall stations, and a few larger desk stations.
Walkers:
A walker, or double combination, is expensive, and must be installed, maintained and operated by a licensed individual. Getting a license to operate is the simplest, followed by the maintenance license, and finally the installer license. While the varying layers of licensing may sound unreasonably onerous, it is all for the users' own good. There are plenty of things that can go wrong with a double combination, and instead of simply carrying voice signals it is carrying you and me! The MTA (Mage transport Administration) is responsible for the licensing of these facilities.
The operator license entitles one to use their own station, or other stations with the permission of the owner. Getting this license requires 10 hours of training, a written and practical test, and can be had after age 14. Children can (and frequently do) learn to use a walker before then, and most of the time nobody cares. Citations for underage use of the double combination are rare, and are usually only given in conjunction with other citations.
The maintenance license entitles one to perform simple calibration and repairs to individual stations, and renew the first layer of charms. Those responsible for a number of stations are usually required to secure an operator license, due to the problems that many stations together present. This license requires a 40 hour class, written and practical exam, and is only offered to those 18 and above.
The installer license entitles one to install and perform all maintenance to double stations, both for themselves and others. This is the license that must be obtained by anyone wishing to repair or build walkers for a living. This license is the result of a special training, usually offered by manufacturers of combination mirrors. A test is required, wherein the candidate must disassemble and reassemble a double combination of unknown make and age, and correct any faults that may be present. Unpardoned felons are not allowed this license.
Calibrating a double combination is a delicate matter. Each charm has a specific purpose, and changing one may correct one fault, but cause another. Because so many operations are taking place at one time, the smallest missallignment in charms can cause a lot of trouble. A good example of this would be the locator charm, which coupled to both a projection and carrier charm, determines the proper arrival station, and clears the temporal path there. The proper sequence is: Locater charm (On completion of spoken directions, this charm directs the station to clear the path to your destination) Projection Charm (should complete approximately .2 second from speaking destination name; which determines that the path is free, and establishes that a connection exits with the destination) and finally the Carrier Charm (begins as soon as you touch the surface of the "mirror," which carries your physical being to the arrival station,)
A deviation of .1 second in any of the three charms is enough to bungle a connection, and .2 second would possibly be fatal! Ironicaly, a locator charm that is wildly out of calibration is less dangerous than one slightly out, because you will simply emerge from the wrong station on the arriving end, whereas if the set is only slightly miscalibrated you may miss the intended arrival but not be far enough to one side or the other to make it out of another station.) Modern sets (after 1990) have an "all or nothing" charm in effect, which essentially refuses the connection and loops you back to the departure station if you "land" between stations. This charm can be added to older stations, but they have to be completely divested of all charms first, for it is among the first applied, and must be in effect for all of the other charms to operate. This means that it is often cheaper and easier to replace stations, unless the old one holds great sentimental or financial value.
Present layout of building.
Layout of building.
The Dining Hall is a single floor freestanding structure, seventy-two feet across the beam, and seventy-five feet deep. It has four doors to the south, and large windows to the east and west. The north contains doors to a stage and kitchen stairs. A Carrol's Mirror is in a small room north of the dining hall, for rolling carts only and connecting only to the kitchen. The kitchens are below stairs, in the basement.
The hallway to the east adjoins the north end of the school proper to the dining hall via a gallery. This gallery has three entry doors to the south that go into the northeast hallway, three to the east that the north end of the school proper go outdoors, three doors to the north that go to the dining hall, one door to the west that goes to the enclosed courtyard, one door to a boys and one to a girls bathroom to the west. The entry has eight Carroll's Mirrors; two walking mirrors and three talkers on the south wall, two walking mirrors to the west, and two talkers to the north.
Proceeding south from the dining hall entry the classrooms are as follows: Left(west)-Third Grade, Second Grade, First Grade, Kindergarten, Southeast entry doors. Right(east)-Stairs leading up to the second floor, Forth Grade, Introduction to Magic/Ethics, Stairs leading up to the second floor, South Hallway, Southeast entry doors.
South Hallway connects east and west wings of the school. There are four classrooms to the south, glass doors to the courtyard to the north. The classrooms are as follows, from the east: Charms, Charms, Transfiguration, Transfiguration.
West wing adjoins to the south hallway to the southeast, has its own exit doors to the south, and gives way to the green house and field house to the north. There are six classrooms in the west wing first floor. From the south hallway going north they are: east side(right) stairwell going to the second floor, Potions, Potions, Stairwell going up to the second floor, girls toilet, boys toilet, North (field house) entry. West side(left) going north is: Life Science, Physical Science, Defensive Magic, Herbology, Trophy Hall, Stairwell going to the second floor, Gymnasium.
Trophy hall: Going west; vestibule, outside doors to left(south), basement door to immediate right(northeast), hallway to Herbology lab and greenhouses ahead right(northwest). Herbology lab is at the end of a long passage due west of the northwest corner of the main building. The lab has an entry door to the east, and doors gaining the greenhouses to the north. There are two greenhouses. One is a "hot" (heated) greenhouse, directly north of the lab, and the other a "cold frame" (unheated, but enclosed) greenhouse directly west of the hot house. Both are the same size: 24' wide by 108' long, and divided into two sections, the southernmost being 24' wide by 72' long, adjoined to the north by one 24' wide by 36' long. There are entry doors on the north and east walls of the smaller sections of each greenhouse, and a fenced-in courtyard between the greenhouses and the gymnasium.
Second floor: West: From South, on west side; Infirmary, Homemaking, Small Hallway has five talker Carrol's Mirrors, stairwell going to third floor. East side going north has the upper class lounge, then girls and boys toilets.
North of the homemaking Class room(but not accessable to it) is a shared classroom opening on the north to a small hallway. The hallway has a small unisex toilet to the west(left), doors opening to a running track which circles the upper level of the gymnasium to the north, and stairs to the east(right) going downstairs, where they terminate directly south of the gymnasium, west(left) of the gymnasium doors.
South Hall: West to east, on the south(right) side; Mage Zoology, Arithramancy, Runes, Astronomy, Divination. Mage History/Social Studies On the north(left) side, going east are doors to the stairwell going downstairs (west, or left) and Upperclassmen Lounge, if followed straight, four windows overlooking the courtyard, and doors to stairs going downstairs (east, or right) and Underclassman Lounge straight ahead.
East Hall, looking north; east(right): Muggle Studies.
Upperclassmen(west) lounge, looking north, on the north wall: to the west(left) hall, with stairs going down to the second floor, to the east a trio of unisex toilets.
Underclassman(east) lounge: looking north, on the north wall; hallway. Hallway has: to stairs (east, or right) going downstairs, Dean in Residence office to the west(left), Dean in Residence personal chambers straight.
Third floor is all dormitory space. Upperclassmen to the west, Underclassmen to the east.
Basement has the boiler room, changing rooms for physical education classes (off northwest stairs, directly under gymnasium) kitchen (directly under the dining hall, stairwell to the north of the dining room proper.) Also has Administrative offices, under south passage and classrooms.
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