The high vaulted ceiling of the main entrance of Ravnica Academy made the campus seem even bigger than it already was. Walking along the marble floor embellished with the school's emblem, Jace Beleren couldn't help but look up in awe... even though he'd been through this particular room several times. The map of the building must have been drawn up by some sort of sadist, seeing as it kept on leading him everywhere but where he needed to go. It didn't help that he had yet to see a single soul who could make sense of the layout of the building for him, seeing as the school year had yet to begin and even students who had chosen to remain in the schools dorms that summer probably didn't spend their time just wandering around the school building.

"This place is set up like a damn maze." Jace muttered to himself as he looked at the map again. He figured he'd simply be in and out- seeing as he only needed to make one stop- but he'd somehow managed to waste nearly an hour getting lost and retracing his steps back to the main entrance. And with no one around who would know their way around, the only thing he could do was keep aimlessly wandering around until he happened upon where he needed to go. That or just give up and retire to his dorm and start unpacking. Just about done with feeling like he was getting mocked by the layout of a building, he resolved to do just that and began to turn to leave.

"Hey! You!" A voice rang out, echoing loudly around the large entryway at a volume that was just at the right pitch to hurt Jace's ears. Still, it was another person, and someone who might be able to help him, so he stopped and looked in the direction the almost-scream had come.

It was a girl, maybe a year or two younger than him, wearing loose, baggy clothes that were better suited on a boy. She had wavy red hair that fell just below her shoulders and a spattering of freckles across her continence that made her seem even younger. She had a pair of goggles strapped to her forehead, only adding to just how odd she looked (maybe she was in a club or something that required her to cover her eyes, but still, these looked like they were more for show). On top of all that, she seemed enthused to see him- maybe a little too enthused. The wide smile she had on as she stomped over to him seemed incredibly insincere

"You must be new!" She chuckled, looking him up and down, chin cradled between her thumb and forefinger in a thoughtful manner.

"What makes you say that?" Jace asked in a tone that bordered on the sarcastic side.

"Well, for one, you're using a map." The girl pointed out, snatching the paper from his hands. "They made this before the school was even finished, and they've added a lot of additions since then. Damn school hasn't taken the time to make up new maps since. This thing will only succeed in getting you lost."

"So I've noticed." Jace muttered, wishing he'd known that bit of information when he talked with the dean while officially enrolling.

"That and I haven't seen you around before. Something tells me I'd remember your face if I saw it once before." She sidled up to him and grinned, nudging him a few times in the ribs, like what Jace assumed was her flirt was also some sort of joke.

"Oh really?" He rolled his eyes, an action the girl may or may not have seen as she crumpled up the useless map and tossed it over her shoulder.

"So where was it you were looking to go, new guy?" She asked. "I know my way around this place well enough."

"The infirmary." Jace explained, glad at least that he was finally able to get some actual direction. "I just need to make sure a prescription of mine was delivered there." He paused, noticing the inquisitive look on the girls face. "Special pain medication. I get awful headaches."

"Oh, yeah, I know where that is. I've been there a few times to treat burns." The girl grinned, starting to walk in the direction of the one of the many halls that branched out from the entrance hall.

"Um-" Jace began.

"I'll take you there! I've got nothing else better to do, and you could use the company." She said with a smile, pausing mid-step and waiting for him to follow. Jace sighed through his nose. He really had no other choice but to follow her. He wasn't so much of a recluse that he'd turn down getting help if it meant having to interact with a complete stranger. She seemed harmless enough anyway. So, with a slight shrug of his shoulders, he followed after her, several steps behind her energetic jaunt.

"Hey, if you're new here, you've probably never heard of the guilds." She piped up shortly after their journey began. She spun around so that she was facing him while continuing to walk backwards, flame-red hair flying haphazardly about her as she turned.

"Guilds?" Jace humored her.

"Well, they're more like clubs, but they run this school more than the teachers and staff do." She explained. "Everyone pretty much stays out of their way and does as they say. If someone from a guild approaches you, it's best you probably listen to them, or else they'll make your time here a living hell."

"Are you in any of these clubs- er, guilds?" Jace asked, to which the girl snorted.

"No way, too much work! That and they have to follow some pretty strict rules, and I'm not a very big fan of sticking to those." She smirked, although Jace met her mischievous expression with one of blank disinterest. "I mean, I'm sure the perks are great- getting to lord over students and all- but it all sounds like way too much responsibility."

"How many of these guilds are there, exactly?"

"Ten, officially, though the stage is always set for people to try and register to make a new guild. The guidelines set up for registering a guild are long and strict as all hell, so unless you don't like having time on your hands, I wouldn't recommend it. No one's bothered to try and register a new guild for a really long-ass time anyway." She paused, holding up both hands and putting down each finger as she listed the guilds off.

"First, you have your head honchos- they pretty much make up what could be described as the student council: Azorius, Boros and Orzhov. You hardly see anyone from Orzhov wandering around school, though, and if you ever meet up with someone from Boros you'd better get ready for a beating; they tend to go about disciplining students by force." She began to explain.

"Are all their names that ridiculous?" Jace asked mockingly, but she either didn't hear him, or was ignoring him.

"The you have the brainiacs: Simic and Izzet. If you ever get to meet Izzet's guild leader, ho man... you'll find out soon enough, I'm sure. Just hope you like tea.

"The rest are special interest groups: Golgari, Gruul, Rakdos and Selesnya. And I think..."

"That's only nine." Jace pointed out. The girl paused thoughtfully, tongue poking out of the side of her mouth in a manner that seemed completely over-acted.

"Oh, right! I completely forgot about Dimir! But no one really knows what the hell they do, or if the guild is even around any more. Once you manage to form a guild, no one really ever goes snooping to see if you're still active." She shrugged, finally returning to facing forward.

"So they're essentially clubs?"

"On paper. They all have their 'official forms of function' but that's really all just stuff floating on the surface. None of them are really good news, which is another reason why I try to stay away. If you want a calm, normal school life, I wouldn't bother with any of them." She paused to snort and expel a single, boisterous laugh into the air. "Of course, Ravnica Academy isn't exactly all that calm or normal to begin with."

"Yeah, not much you can say about a school full of freaks." Jace chimed in.

"Hey, you're one of us now, so that means you're just as much a freak as the rest of us." The girl spoke defensively. "Not to say we aren't freaks. When you gather up all magic folk and people attune to mana and throw them in a school, you're kind of setting yourself up for housing a freakshow."

The girl stopped in her tracks and tuned back around to face him, holding out her hand to the side and motioning towards a door beside her.

"Well, here it is. It's a pretty easy room to find- I'm honestly surprised you couldn't find it on your own." She chuckled.

"Thanks." Was all Jace could manage, his voice a low mutter.

"Hey, no problem..." The girl paused. "Well, shoot, I never got your name! Hell, I never even gave you my name, and here I am, talking your ear off about guilds." She laughed heartily and Jace continued to not fully understand what was so funny... mostly because nothing was actually funny at all. "My name's-"

"Chandra Nalaar." Jace cut in, voice sounding like he was reading lines off a script. "A pyromancer and second generation to enter the academy after your brother, who you might adore just a little too much, if you don't mind me saying. You have a temper fit for several people and your teachers have been known to describe you as 'talented, but has a difficult time following instructions'. You also have a pimple on your forehead that you're trying to hide with your goggles."

The girl, Chandra, instinctively threw her hands over her goggles that were, in fact, hiding a pimple that had sprung up the night before. Her expression was a cross between embarrassment, surprise and untamed, wild anger.

"H-How did you-!?" She part asked- part shrieked, her cheeks now a bright shade of red.

"Mind mage, which is kind of exactly what it sounds like." Jace was quick to explain. "My name's Jace Beleren, which you would be able to figure out by reading the ID I have in my wallet, which, by the way..." He held out his hand and gave her an impatient look, cocking an eyebrow. "...I would really like back."

"Wh... Wha-!?"

"Thanks for helping me find the infirmary, but you only really approached me so you could pick-pocket me. I learned about that before I even figured out about your name." Jace continued to elaborate.

"H-How dare you!" Chandra shouted, hands still covering her head, like her hands would block Jace from continuing to delve into her mind.

"Don't you think I'm the one who should be the one who's upset here? I mean, I was robbed, after all."

"Screw you!" Chandra snapped, removing his wallet from where she'd been hiding it on her person and chucking it at him, hitting him square in the chest hard enough that it actually managed to hurt him. Immediately after assaulting him with his own belongings, she turned her tail and ran down the hall, looking over her shoulder to shout "JERK!" as loud as she could as she ran.

"Gods and demons, if that's what the welcome wagon is like..." Jace thought aloud to himself as he bent down to pick up his wallet. It only occurred to him then, once Chandra had run completely out of sight, that he actually didn't quite know where the dormitories were. He shrugged and went to open the door to the infirmary. Someone would probably know where they were, and if they knew, then so did he.