St. Remedius Medical College: “The Zoetropes Rise”

Law Versus Chaos, Good Versus Evil, And Those Who Thrive in Between

(Who was St. Remedius? And why is a medical college named after him?)

Most looking at the metaphysical poles of Law versus Chaos, often but not always seasoned with Good versus Evil, only focus on the poles and never look at the spaces between. The universe is a massive philosophical painting, with innumerable shades and hues between the primary colors and between black and white, with wars and alliances forming and evaporating between those subtleties. At the center isn’t Neutrality but instead balance. It takes special skills and dedication to remain square in the center compared to the perceived benefits of reaching for either pole, and a certain sort of sentient thrives there. This is the world of the Zoetropes.

The Zoetropes were and are those who delve in the gaps between technology and magic, the secret tunnels in quantum theory and in mithral constants. Zoetropes have no serious organization, no schools or disciplinary studies, and no formal affiliations. Rather, they usually find themselves drawn to the edges of formal study, rapidly falling into a rabbithole of “what if?” Every Zoetrope finds their own path, and usually practice their knowledge and skills for months or years before encountering another. This is usually very deliberate: the last thing other Zoetropes need is someone in their ranks with just enough affinity to be dangerous, and the early Zoetrope experimentation has an expectedly low survival rate. Not all die, but the ones that don’t often fall back into bland careers as a balm for the pain.

The ones that last, though, have the universe at their feet. Instead of being trapped and repressed by affiliation with a specific discipline, they slide along the edges, using technology that emulates magic and magic that emulates technology, usually with additional twists of their own that they may or may not share with others. That sort of life may appear to be desperately lonely, but most Zoetropes welcome the quiet: it gives them ideas.

In spite of their solitude, several Zoetropes formed relationships in the past with St. Remedius alumni and faculty, particularly with the Advanced Technologies and the Thaumaturgy departments, but most often with the erratic geniuses in the Music Department. Many times, this was to warn others of impending disasters soon to affect the rest of the universe, such as the first hints of what later became known as the Quantum War. Just as often, though, Zoetropes came to St. Remedius to crash the Time Traveler Balls or the famed New Year’s Eve faculty masquerade party, and they were always open for a music jam in a quiet quantum pocket, carrying instruments of absolutely devastating tone and completely unknown power sources. This went double for Zoetrope chili cookoffs and baking challenges: only the best ever received an invitation, but what they learned from Zoetrope culinary demonstrations stuck with them for the rest of their lives.

Want to get caught up on the St. Remedius story so far? Check out the main archive. Want more hints as to the history of St. Remedius Medical College? Check out Backstories and Fragments. Want to forget all of that and look at cat pictures from a beast who dreams of his own OnlyFans for his birthday? Check out Mandatory Parker. Questions, concerns, and disgust over generative AI? Check out Contact, Privacy Policy, and AI Policy. And feel free to visit the St. Remedius Medical College Redbubble shop for all of your Mandatory Parker needs.

Music Department Quantum War St. Remedius Zoetrope