The Choice Ceremony 2026-2027 PV Koldov Students

As the sun set on the end of the first day of September in 2026, so too would it rise on a new generation of students at the Koldovstoretz Conservatory. Some students who had completed their first year at the Conservatory had become eligible to move up into the older and more advanced year-groups, and perhaps some of these elder students who had already chosen a Group in years past might have wanted to change to a different path. And, of course, there were the new first-years in attendance: bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and catching an exciting glimpse as to their futures here at the Choice.

Unlike a first-year Sorting Ceremony, the new students were only here to observe and witness as their older peers forged forwards in their futures. It was the second-years and up on whom the mantle of choosing would be placed today. At the выбор (Choice), those who had passed their evaluations by professors at the last school year's end would be eligible to choose between the three more advanced Groups: Group 5, Group 6, or Group 7. Which of these they would choose would be entirely up to them.


Also unlike Hogwarts' Sorting Ceremony, the Choice is not a one-time deal. Students are eligible to participate in the Choice as many times as they like throughout their second through seventh years at Koldovstoretz; legends abound of a renowned student from the early 2010s who changed Groups every single year. However, only one Group can be selected a year, and you cannot choose to switch to a different Group until the Choice at the beginning of the next academic year, so make sure you are certain about your selection at least for the next eight to twelve months.

Out of Character Note: You are able to select a Group for your iNPC character at your leisure beginning at the start of their second year. (It is up to you if you choose to promote your character to an elder group at the beginning of year 2 or wait, but you must be promoted by the beginning of year 4.) Perhaps you will choose a Group to enjoy for the next six years, or perhaps you may later find yourself wanting to change your student's studies due to a development in their story, in which case you are able to participate in the Choice at the beginning of the new academic year.

Please keep in mind, however, that though the Choice thread will remain open all year, it takes place canonically on 1 September of 2026. This means that if you post in the Choice changing your character's Group, that change backdates to 1 September even if you write the post in December or the next April. You will need to make sure you have not already written your character as being in a different Group already during that academic year. Director Vorozheykin keeps track of who is in what group, both IC and OOC!

The ceremony itself was set up at sunset on the edge of Lake Bear, where the waves of water lapped softly against the rocky shores. Weather in Russia was quite pleasurable in this time of year, with a mild early autumn breeze necessitating nothing more than a light jacket even for those who often tended towards being cold; the golden rays of the setting sun danced orange off the rippling lake, laying the scene for a beautiful early evening ceremony.

A rocky outcropping into the lake had been set with three pedestals of pure white marble that glimmered, bright and beautiful, in the tangerine light. On the leftmost pedestal stood a beautifully carved statuesque bust of a man with pursed lips and curly hair; if one squinted and turned their head to the side, it almost resembled the former Director of the school (before the current one, and with longer locks). The middle pedestal held two large jugs, each capable of containing several doses, one filled with purplish-blue Dogbreath Potion and the other with vermilion Babbling Beverage. The rightmost pedestal held a potted baby Mandrake, and a swooping phoenix would occasionally land on the pedestal to stare at the leafy creature before leaping off to take another lap around the area.

The various vedma(k)s of the conservatory stood in a cluster nearby, ready to escort away any of the students who may have chosen Groups in which their own subjects were located; it would be the professors' jobs to turn their new students' uniforms to the proper colours: scarlet for Group 5, pure white for Group 6, and navy blue for Group 7.

Eligible students would be called, one by one in a random order, up to the pedestals to make their choice.

Students who wanted to select Group 5 would utilise a known spell to break or repair the statue on the leftmost pedestal, showcasing their talents in martial magic and proving once and for all their desire to pursue their spellcasting even further.

Students who wanted to select Group 6 would choose to sip from either the Dogbreath Potion or the Babbling Beverage on the centre pedestal, breathing fire or chattering away as a statement: I trust potions, so trust me to brew them.

Students who wanted to select Group 7 would care, in some way, for either the potted baby Mandrake or the swooping phoenix on the rightmost pedestal. Food for the bird and extra soil for the plant could be found at the base, behind the marble.

But before anyone could approach the trio of plinths, the extraordinarily dramatic Director of Studies, renowned Seer (as far as any of you could tell!) and longtime vedmak of Divination Aulis Vorozheykin, stepped forward with an extemporaneous flourish of his dangling sleeves. For this ceremony, the Director always dressed in the historical fashions of the Russian tsars of old, and this year he could be found in a delicate silk robe that was covered in glimmering jewels and heavily embroidered in exceptional patterns that stretched all the way down the elongated sleeves. The grin on his face could be described as nothing other than proud as Director Vorozheykin swept down to the little rocky outcrop on the shore, ruffling hair and clapping shoulders of any student who happened within a few feet of him as he did so. When he reached the shore, he whirled about, arms outstretched, with an ornamental spiral of his robe's train and then performed a little bow.

"Welcome to all," he announced in the school's native language of Russian, his grandiose tone of voice only exacerbated by the magical speaker that his throat had become. "The Choice is upon us once more, but first, before we congratulate all of our elder students who have reached the most important decision of their educational lives, let us first welcome our new class of first-year students as they begin their proper magical schooling here at the Koldovstoretz Conservatory." To raucous applause, Aulis turned to face the youngest of those in attendance, who had been clustered together off to the right. "Welcome, one and all. Whether you are a familiar face, having boarded with us since your magic first surfaced, or a new member to the ranks of our glorious conservatory, let me take this opportunity to tell you that in a year, this could be you. Focus on your studies, soak in your lessons, and take this next year to think about where you might want to end up in the rest of your time here. We were all you, once. Myself included!" A hefty wink accompanied his last sentence. "And do not hesitate to come to myself or any of your teachers should you need assistance. I foresee lots of excellent conversations and tea-times in your futures!"

Only after he had welcomed the new first-years, who looked rather small and nervous in their olive-green suit-like uniforms, did Director Vorozheykin turn to the other group of clustered students in green. Some were only a year older than the new firsties, and others would be entering their third or fourth years at the Conservatory, but all of these students had in common one very important quality: at the end of the previous school year, they had been nominated by their Vedma(k)s as having been ready to advance to the more proficient magical groups that the academy offered. Today, these young people of second, third, and fourth year (depending on when they had been deemed ready to continue on), and even perhaps some students of the elder years (if they had made the decision to switch into a different Group), would make the Choice, progressing into Groups 5, 6, or 7.

"But now, let us continue on with our true reason for gathering here today," Aulis explained, curling a finger in anticipation towards the gathered group of Choosers. "You, there. These students here before me have shown remarkably outstanding progress in their studies over their past year, or years, at Koldovstoretz, and as such have proven themselves worthy of furthering their education in our more advanced Groups. Others amongst them have studied all they could in one Group and would like to expand the boundaries of their knowledge by choosing another, as I did when I was a student here, switching from Group 5 to Group 7." He grinned, knowing the fear - but also the fun - that went into undergoing the Choice more than once. Some of these children would stick with their Group until their graduation at eighteen, while others would Choose again once or even twice - or more - in the coming years. Giving children the ability to control their own futures was paramount to raising young, capable wix. "When you hear your name called, my young ones, please come to the front and select your choice amongst these three pedestals. First-years, do watch along - this could be you, at this time in just one year."

He pulled from his deep pocket a scroll, then unfurled it and pointed to the first name on the list. "Let me see... we shall begin with..."

This is a RPG topic where all students are welcome to post. You are welcome to RP your character undergoing the Choice or just watching the ceremony.

All RPG rules apply. Word count per post is 200 words of your own work, not including quotes, OOC chat or other people's words. Any flood-type (posts under 200 words) of message will be deleted after a warning owl is sent. If you are having a hard time meeting the 200 word count expectation try to be descriptive:

• For those making their Choice now: What Group will you choose and why?
• How are you feeling?
• What in your last year(s) at Koldovstoretz made you choose this Group?
• Or, if you are a first-year or an observer: Are you excited to be here?
• What else are you feeling in this moment?
• Are you looking forward to your own Choice, or, if you've already made it, reminisce upon it! (Please be vague as to what the options were in previous years as they have not been canonised.)

Very minor god-modding is allowed here because there are lots of you and only one of me. Please be respectful of this fact and keep most of your post about you. You know that Director Vorozheykin called your name, gave you a smile, and stepped aside to allow you to access the pedestals. He would not have an individual conversation with you other than to perhaps say congratulations at the end of your Choice and send you off to a (dNPC) Vedma(k) to get your uniform colour changed. As for the Groups, please make sure you only choose one and respect the Koldovstoretz lore when doing so; you cannot choose Group 7 and say you are so excited to only take Potions classes and never take Herbology again, for example, since Group 7 is more nature magic and Potions would be a Group 6 thing (though Group 7 students could take it as an elective class).

If you have any questions, please send me an owl. Code credit to @Solomon Lear.