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Tamara Lyell

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About Tamara Lyell

  • Birthday 09/30/1980

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  • Full Name
    Tamara Rain Lyell
  • Birthdate - Day
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  • Birthplace
    Antrim, Co. Antrim - Ulster, UK
  • Job Title
    Professor of Ancient Rune Studies
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  • Played By
    Tegan Quin

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    Rowan wood with a Phoenix feather core 10 ¾" and Supple flexibility
  • Patronus
    Black swan

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  • Time Zone
    US East Coast (GMT -5)

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  • IC Post Count 13
  • Playerx Webster
  • Plot Wants
  • Birthdate Day 30
  • Birthdate Month 9
  • Birthdate Year 1980
  • Manual Age 0
  • Unknown Age
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  1. As students filed out of the lecture hall, Professor Lyell watched and smiled as everyone headed out, the first class done and dusted. That went better than I thought it would, she mused, turning on a heel, her scarlet and gold professorial robe swirling around her legs and hips like an owl, eager to watch over her charges yet letting them have their space. Gathering up her papers - the rune stones would stay in the lecture hall - from the lectern table, she made sure everything was in place - for all her outside explorations, inside the classroom she was very much business-like, a style she had painstakingly worked on and molded back at Hogwarts. Outside the classroom, she was very much approachable....inside the classroom, she was very much in charge. Giving the lectern table and whiteboards one last look for the day, Professor Lyell began walking up one of the hall aisles to the exit, stepping through with nary a whisper as she turned down the corridor towards the common areas, where the offices of Kookynie professors were located. Waving in a friendly manner as a few of the students walking up-and-down the hallway said hello or greeted her, she walked down to the office bearing her name, complete with a hook for her fedora. Taking it off of her head, she opened the door - the office was rather small, but appearances were deceiving...from the outside, it looked small; from the inside, it looked huge - setting her fedora on the hook where it would rest. Moving around the desk, Professor Lyell took her her professorial robe and set it down neatly over a nearby chair, revealing her clothes underneath (a long-sleeve khaki blouse, black pants and 1' flats). Sitting down in her professorial chair, she relaxed a bit, glancing over at a picture she'd brought with her from Hogwarts. It was a picture of her and another professor on a date to Edinburgh from the year below; looking at it, she whispered, "I wish you were here, Mercy," pausing as a tear began to form along the edge of her eye. Wiping it away, she repeated her words, adding in a quiet, Antrim whisper, "Gods, I miss you, Mercy babe....I miss you so much...."
  2. "I'm Audrey," The young woman said easily, "Batman's assistant, and the real person who actually keeps this place somewhat organised. Don't let my age or the kids fool you," Audrey grinned, and then chuckled as Tavi grinned at the nickname for her father, "This is Tavi, and Merri. Welcome to the school. I'd have probably been the first one to meet you and see you to Alan, but I've been a little busy since the end of last year." "Oh, nice to meet you, Audrey," Tamara replied, smiling broadly and giggling a bit at the sight of Tavi rushing off to check on Alan - whom Tamara presumed was a reference to the school's Headmaster; at the mention of the nickname for Headmaster Burdette, she added deadpan, "so that would make him Batman? I'll have to remember that," in-between bites of donut as the head librarian spoke... "Adele DeVylissea. Librarian. Occasional teacher for History, Elemental, and Ancient Runes," she said the last with extra emphasis. She had no desire to actually teach but she still wanted Tamara to know that Adele could do her job better all the same. There was a firm but faint coldness to her words that piques Tamara's interest but she opted to let it go...for now. In her mind, Tamara saw a woman who, like her, had been through a lot in her life - what, she didn't know - but had survived those challenges, coming out stronger in the end. In other words, she was a survivor. "Oh, you've taught Ancient Runes as well? Tamara said. "We should compare notes sometime," pausing as she remembered Audrey's question ab out how she was adjusting to Australia and to Tallygarunga. "I'm adjusting pretty well, Audrey," she replied. "The heat may take a while - I thought North Africa was hot but the heat outside.....whoa. As for school? I'm still getting my bearings and all but I'm adjusting pretty well. Hardest part, I think, was remembering where everywhere was but I think I've got that down pretty good," pausing as she finished the donut and set the plate down nearby. "I'd get another donut but I don't know who else is going to come by; wouldn't want to deprive of them of all that sweetness," she joked, her broad smile returning as she spoke...
  3. Once she was assured that everyone was present and accounted for - and that she had a name to go with each face - Professor Lyell rolled up the student list and began discussing the syllabus for the Ancient Runes class. "There are three basic areas within the study of ancient runes that we're going to focus on this year, over the course of each term. If you'll indulge my exuberance on the subject, let me explain." It wasn't hyperbole; besides searching for them out on some distant plain in the middle of nowhere, Professor Lyell loved to talk about them the way Australians loved their football most days of the week. "First, the history of ancient runes...why were they created? What purpose did they offer then and what purpose do they offer us now in 2019? How do we connect," pausing for a moment as she intertwined her fingers together while she walked in-between the student tables, "the past with the present? That is where learning about the history of ancient runes comes in. You should have with you - or be in the process of getting, students - a textbook on the History of Ancient Runes; most of Term 1 will be devoted to that subject. "But not all of this term will be about history; the study of ancient runes is also a study of languages. Celtic, Pictish, Latin, the various European languages, Native American and Indigenous languages, Egyptian hieroglyphs...all of them have helped contribute to the wizarding world and we're going to learn a bit about them. No, I don't expect you to be able to speak them as we're speaking English here today but I do expect you to have a basic grounding in them. Knowing which languages were predominant in which areas will help immensely in the translation of ancient runes. It also helps weed out fakes; remind me over the course of the class this year to tell you a few stories about some of the fake runes I've come across. You would be surprised at some of them; shocked in a few of them, but a basic grounding in those languages is an immense advantage." Remembering her conversation a few weeks back with Professor Ackers, she added, "By the way, it also helps to have taken beforehand the Dead & Magical Languages course; those here who have, I'm expecting you to help the students who've yet to take that course. "Finally, the study of ancient runes is also a study in the wizarding world that we are a part of...because," pausing as she walked back to the front of the lectern and turned towards the students, "it is also a study in us. Who are we? Why are we here? Where are we going? and so forth. Since the first wizards and witches walked this great planet we inhabit, those questions have been a part of our world and by studying ancient runes, we hope to gain a little bit of knowledge that'll help us answer those questions...or at the very least, help us get pointed in the right direction." After a few moments, she continued. "As for textbooks, you should already have both the rune history and Spellman's Syllabus books with you. The three other textbooks which we'll use over the course of the year are Ancient Runes Made Easy, Advanced Rune Translation and Hieroglyphs & Logograms - they should be listed in each of your course syllabuses. As the year goes on, we'll be using all five textbooks - not all at the same time, but a couple here and a couple there. The books dovetail a lot of we'll be learning...." Just as she was about to continue, she heard the ringing of the bells signifying the end of class.... "...and that bell says this first class has, unfortunately, come to an end. Make sure to follow the syllabus you have with you; it lists what we'll be working on for next class. If you've got any questions, don't hesitate to ask; if I'm not here after class I'm over in my office here in Kookynie Hall; just look," pausing to point towards her fedora, "for the fedora here; if its' hanging on the door hook next to the door, then I'm in the office. If not...," Professor Lyell gave a friendly shrug, "I'm usually around somewhere close by..."
  4. As she pushed open the broad doors which led into the lecture hall, Professor Lyell felt whatever nervousness migth've still been inside of her all morning slip away, vanishing like distant ghosts in the slips of time. She walked down towards the lectern table with a purposeful, no-nonsense stride, her flats echoing faintly on the tile floor as she scarlet-and-gold professorial robe flowed around her like a eagle protecting its' nest from attack from afar, while atop her head her fedora, the Springbok feather pointing straight up from the brim like a sentinel. Looking around a little, she counted over 20 students - most looking as though they were in the middle forms - and looking eager to learn; although she had the list of students by name in her hand, rolled up so that she could use it as a pointer, she always used the first one or two class days to get to know her students. It was one thing to know them on paper; it was quite another to tie the name to the face. Walking up onto the broad stage, the professor walked straight over to the table, atop which sat three rune stones, each as large as the textbooks the students had with them. Each one had ancient languages written upon them; it was Professor Lyell's way of introducing them to the study of ancient runes. After a few moments, she coughed quietly, took off her fedora and set it down on the table next to the runes. "Before you, on the lectern table before you here, are three stones. Ancient runes with a couple ancient languages on them; my question to you this first day is....which of these stones is real and which are fake?" she asked. For several minutes, the students - invited up to the lectern table by Professor Lyell - studied all three runes, examining them with sharp, quizzical eyes and bated breaths. Professor Lyell watched, noting which students took their time examining each of the three rune stones and which didn't...eventually, she called the students back to their seats. "Okay, which of you think its' the first rune stone?" After counting the number of students who answered, she repeated the question for the second and third rune stones, again writing down how many students answered for each of them. When she had the numbers tallied up, Professor Lyell spoke again. "For those who answered the second rune stone, congratulations! That stone was found near Bunratty Castle in southern Ireland almost two centuries ago and contains both Celtic and Pict language on it, both of which we'll study in this class. The other two....both are fakes; my question to you, ladies and gentlemen, is how do we know their fakes?" Pointing towards one student with her rolled-up paper, she said, "Yes?" "The languages," he replied. "And...?" Professor Lyell prompted. "The lack of languages on the other stones," the student asked, seemingly half-afraid. "That's right," Professor Lyell explained. "The forgeries contained symbology not regularly used by wizards and witches; the first one contained Egyptian hieroglyphics lifted from the Rosetta Stone, while the third stone contained Cambodian symbology found at the site of Angkor Kol Ker in northwest Cambodia. If these had been legit, they would've both had languages, scripts and symbols on them, not just symbols. But for those who answered one or three, don't fret; we've got all year to learn," bringing a light chuckle to the lecture hall. After a few moments, Professor Lyell continued. "Since I am new here to Tallygarunga, let me introduce myself. I'm Professor Tamara Lyell and I'll be your instructor in the study of ancient runes; by the end of this year, all of you here today will know just about everything there is to know about runes and their relationship to the wizarding world. But its' not just a classroom study; we'll do plenty of library work and - conditions permitting and permissions granted ahead of time - we may even go out into the field and search for runes for a couple days. The textbooks you have will provide the baseline for passing the course; how much you learn or choose to learn is up to you." After a few moments, she unfurled the rolled-up papers and began asking which students were which, the year having begun in earnest....
  5. "I wouldn't worry about the books; my father was a librarian back in County Antrim and he used to tell people that you could tell a book's value by the dust. Less dust, more value and more usage," Professor Lyell replied, a faint smile crossing her face in-between bites. It wasn't mere sophistry either; as Head Librarian of the Antrim Regional Library, Clarence Lyell was a stickler for books and reading as evidenced by the quote above his office, "The most dangerous thing in the world is an educated, learned man." Setting her plate on the table next to her, she continued. "Normally, I don't dress as if I just came in out of the field; I'm still getting my bearings around here and all," pausing to cheerfully wave at both of the small infants she saw across from her, "and in those situations I'd rather err on the side of comfortable style than anything else. As for the shoes," she continued, "again comfortable style over anything else. Doesn't mean I won't dress to the nines if necessary; besides, under the professorial robes, how is anyone going to know what you are wearing?" she said with a slightly rakish smile as she picked up the small plate of donuts and took a decent bite out of another donut, pausing to take a napkin and wipe a spot of chocolate from the corner of her mouth. "Now that we have the pleasantries out of the way, I'm Professor Tamara Lyell, the new professor of Ancient Rune Studies," pausing as she looked at both the librarian - she assumed the one woman was a librarian by her manner of acting - and another woman sitting nearby, both of whom had infant children with them, "and you are, by chance..."
  6. "Its' like all the streakers and photobombers you see in the news, Sparky," Tamara replied, pausing to listen to he Professor Ackers continued on. Listening to him mention the conflict at Hogwarts some years back, she nodded and grew silent; having been in North Africa on a rune expedition, she had been away from that but students of hers' who had been involved gave her the backstory on it later on. She remembered that expedition real well; but for her knowledge of Muggle religions with regards to a certain Ark, she would not be standing alongside the other professor. Nodding her head in agreement, she spoke up again. "Well, I'm sure they'll take every precaution they can but it also helps if we keep our own eyes and ears open; what is it our American cousins preach? 'See something, say something' I think it is. Wise words from our more precocious cousins, even if they did rebel from the mother country centuries earlier," smiling as she looked around once again. "And there is no need for vigilantism; I've seen the end results a few times and they are not pretty. Not pretty at all." Taking another look around, Professor Lyell took out her fedora and placed it atop her head, straightening the brim as she looked around once more. "Anyway, I better move along here," offering the other professor a handshake. "It was nice meeting you, Sparky..."
  7. Walking down the main corridor where everywhere in Kookynie merged together - classrooms, commons areas, dorms, instructors' offices - Professor Lyell was satisfied with the day's progress in Ancient Runes. Her supplies had come in, the three sets of runes she used as teaching guides were in place and the Rune Hall was ready for classes to start. All I need to do, she mused as she walked past the commons board, is write up the --- hello, what is this? Pausing her step, she stopped and read the pamphlet on the board and thought musedly, Donut Wednesday, huh? I could use something sweet, she thought as she quickly read it, turned and began walking towards the exits of Kookynie Halls. Taking a moment to re-orient herself with the grounds, she began walking towards Gawler, where Tallygarunga's staff and headquarters offices were located at; she'd been there twice already - once to talk to Headmaster Burdett and once to get her orientation packet from the school - but she hadn't been to the staffroom yet. This will make three times I've been there, she humorous thought as she walked quickly over, pausing once to keep her fedora from flying off her head as she rounded a corner path towards Gawler. Entering the building, she bounded past the foyer, past the front desk and past the Headmaster's office - chuckling at the sight of a chair propped up against the Headmaster's Door - and arrived at the staffroom, pausing to take off her fedora and roll it up, sliding it underneath her belt. Dressed in cargo pants, a short-sleeve dark blouse and Sketchers that had definitely seen a little bit of wear in the field, the professor looked as thought she'd just left an excavation site or field expedition locale rather than having just left her Ancient Runes lecture hall minutes earlier, some of her numerous tattoos sticking out from underneath the blouse sleeves. It didn't bother her in the least, however, as she stepped inside and walked calmly over to the middle of the room, where the donuts were at. Taking a few from the plate, she set them on a plate for herself and walked over to a nearby free chair and sat down, taking a few moments to relax and savor the sweets. "Afternoon, everyone," she said, waving in a friendly, getting-to-know-you kind of way as she leaned back in her chair, her plate of donuts resting on a knee as she waited to see if anyone would reply....
  8. "Oh, I can tell you chronicles. At least my own more recent chronicles that could be considered uh. . . Bad taste in certain circles. But I just can't help myself most days. I'll need to regale you with the times of my college days where I crashed weddings on a daily in different ways." "Hey, one's bad taste can be another's humorous release," Tamara replied, "just depends on the individual and the circumstance. This was true; you could play the same prank in two different places to two different people and, depending on the circumstances, have two entirely different reactions. Upon hearing that Derick had a protege to pass down his firebug secrets, Tamara chuckled and shook her head a few times, trying to picture them plying their fiery trade. "Just don't go burning up everything; start small and build up," she said, pausing when he said he'd help her with some instructor's pranks if she needed any during the year-to-come. "I might take you up on that offer," she said, "and yes, sometimes you need to loosen up just to keep your sanity." This was the eternal fear; that one would become so driven in their academic and other pursuits that they'd have no time for a life, for anything other than their pursuits. She'd seen a few lose their sanity and Tamara was determined not to let that happen. Before she could continue, things turned serious... "Just about! It officially pops open on the twenty-ninth of this month. Unless something ends up happening." A hand rubbed at the back of his neck in thought. "With us having a staff member and a few of that members relatives in the school under watch ever since that criminal guy popped into the country, It's hard to say if it will stay that date or if they'd move it until they're certain it's safe enough for students to return. The few Auror's around weren't very conspicuous on their jobs and all to ease the worries of students and staff alike." "That's not good, one blessed bit," Tamara said upon hearing the news. Like most who traveled from the Home Countries abroad, Professor Lyell had gotten both the Foreign Office travel briefing and, because she was a witch, a Ministry of Magic briefing. That didn't bother her, anyone traveling from Hogwarts to a Commonwealth nation got such a briefing...the fact that it was given to her by Minster Grainger herself, however, still bothered her. Never in any of the times she had traveled anywhere - even on expeditions - had she gotten a high-level briefing such as the one she'd gotten before leaving London for Melbourne...couple in the fact they had me leave via Brize Norton and not Gatwick tells me they're worried just as much as they are here, she thought. It wasn't hyperbole either; with the Quidditch Women's World Cup coming up in June and the annual Magical Commonwealth Minster's Meeting taking place in Canberra a month following, tensions were beginning to build, she had heard, inside the British Ministry of Magic. Security concerns aside there, the fact that a dangerous criminal was on the loose somewhere in Australia simply added to the tension.... "So that explains the heightened security at Essendon when I arrived," Tamara said, keeping it in mind. "I saw the posters there but didn't put everything together until you mentioned it just now," taking a moment to fold her paper back up and slip it into a pocket once more. "Well, whoever it is, I'm sure the Ministries will do everything in their power to stop him."
  9. "I tried out for Hogwarts' Quidditch club but unfortunately, broomsticks and I apparently don't mix," Tamara joked as they stood inside the D & ML hall. It wasn't hyperbole, either; three times she'd tried out...three times she didn't qualify, though it wasn't for lack of effort. To her, if she couldn't play the sport, she'd follow along , pulling for both the Irish national club and - within England - Liverpool's Quidditch side. Hearing about Australia's chances, she added, "Not only are they pretty good, but you're playing on home soil and home air...that's always going to help." "Now I can't let you go borrowing students! Alumni's though? I think we can get those rolled up. You wouldn't believe the kind of shite the Headmaster and the Minister of Magic pulled as adults." He still remembered that crazy debacle back when he'd been closer towards his end year his Tallygarunga. All those floofsters running amok in the school. Terrifyingly exciting. "Oh, really?" she said, pleased to hear that practical jokes and pranks were just as common Down Under as they were back home. "You'll have to tell me sometime," she said. Hearing his thoughts on what she'd said about the relationship between wizards and muggles, Tamara nodded; for once, someone agreed with her on the subject and neither pooh-pooh'ed it or reacted otherwise. "Yeap, everyone! Has noooothing to do with my fiery personality! Everything to do with the fact that I just enjoy the power of fire just a bit much." Some may even classify it as unhealthy obsession but he found it to be something worth the attention and understanding and maybe because it had been something that he could relate to in many ways. "So you're a firebug then, huh?" she said, deadpan as she listened to some of the various ways a professor could prank their students. "That would have to be frustrating," she replied, "after all, you crunch up a paper only to have it unravel and straighten out? Yikes," laughing at the thought of her students trying and failing to crinkle up papers. "I'll have to remember that for during the year to come," she said as Derick spoke of the Transfiguration class and the professor teaching it as they reached the hallway and proceeded towards the Transfiguration classroom. "A lifer, then," Tamara said. "Not being flippant there either; I've had people say that about me." Taking a moment to stretch her back she asked, "So when does the current term start?" removing a paper which held the school's yearly schedule. "Got here two weeks ago and unless I'm reading this wrong," pausing to take a look, "classes start in about a week and a half or so?"
  10. "Oh, thank you," Tamara replied when Derick mentioned how sweet her tattoos were. "About the only tattoo that I can't show you off-hand is the big red Liverpool tat that's right square in the middle of my back, between my shoulder blades," she said, "its' of a liverbird clutching the English Quidditch League title in its' beak; the fact that they clinched that title last year on the grounds of their arch rival Manchester United only made it sweeter." Besides the English, Scottish and Irish national sides, there was a very active Quidditch club system in the U.K. in those countries as well. "Still can't believe the Yanks won the Quidditich World Cup this past year; odds are, their women will do the same again this year, blast it," remembering how the United States side, after years of mediocrity, had pulled off the wizarding version of "the Miracle on Ice", and winning the 2014 QWC. On the other hand, the U.S. Women were the current champions looking for a repeat; unlike the men, they were the clear favorites in 2019. "Maybe we can borrow some of those infamous pranksters later this year, huh?" she joked as they began walking down towards the Dead & Magical Languages hall. In her years back at Hogwarts, Professor Lyell had found that having a solid grounding in languages helped immensely in the study of ancient runes, as any number of old, often non-spoken (at least by the living) languages could be found inscribed on runes and unless you could translate them, you pretty much had the world's heaviest and largest paperweights instead of historical artifacts. "I get that. It's pretty much how I viewed the stance with Elemental Magic and a lot of other classes that could benefit from it. Defense Against the Dark Arts and even Care of Magical Creatures. Most of the students don't realize the unique nature that the course holds until they get to that final lesson plan. When it isn't all about the potential destruction but the benefits towards the land," Derick said as they headed along the hallway. "I agree; in one of our classes back at Hogwarts - Muggle Studies, as I recall - there was a section on Muggle Religions and in one of the Abrahamic texts it spoke of how people should be stewards of the earth. This is true; doesn't matter whether you are a muggle or a wizard; at the end of the day," Tamara said, "we should all do what we can to ensure that we leave a better world for future generations," pausing as they arrived at the Dead and Magical Languages hall. "So everyone calls you Sparky, huh?" Tamara asked. "I can see why," a broad smile across her face as they entered; having noticed the embedded name plates on the walls outside, Professor Lyell made a note to bring the one she had been given back at Hogwarts and have someone install it into the currently-empty slot outside the Ancient Rune Studies hall. His hand pressed against the door for a moment and pushed it ajar, empty. Once he'd fully confirmed with himself on the lack of presence in the room he would open it up in a casual motion. "This is our ever so lovely D and M Lang. class! It doesn't seem like the instructors here but there maybe a syllabus lying about somewhere. You know how teens get, offered a paper and stuff it somewhere." "I can imagine," Tamara replied, "either that or they keep it as a prank and force the instructor to have to re-write it," tapping the side of her head as she added, "that's why I keep it memorized and up here, so that I don't have to worry about it."
  11. His eyes caught hint of the tattoo's that trailed along the woman's arms, that had been quite the unique artwork amongst educators. Merely seeing it pulled a small smile on his face as it would be something he'd personally note as a interesting and unique trait. "Oh, Sweet! Welcome to Tallygarunga then. Or what I call, 'The boiling pot of all that is crazy.'" A light chuckle emitted from him. The description offered of the school couldn't do justice to the amount of shenanigans and issues. Derrick's hand reached out once the gap had been closed, gripping into a firm handshake from the proffered hand. "Tamara? Pretty easy name to remember. I didn't get the chance to meet the last Rune Studies Professor. So, guess I am ahead of the curve this round."﻿ The boiling pot of all that is crazy, huh?" Tamara replied, gripping Derick's hand with an equally firm handshake. "Well, in that case I should fit right in," pausing as she noticed him checking out the intricate artwork on her arms. "As for the tattoos? Reminders of field expeditions to far-off lands, from the sands of North Africa to the jungles and islands of the western Pacific and the mountains of the Americas....a well-traveled life, you could say." It wasn't hyperbole either; on her passport there were at least 20 or so countries' entry stamps present, including a few countries whose reactions to the magical world could be best described as antagonistic...and there'd been one or two occasions were Professor Lyell had been lucky to escape with her life, much less anything else. As she listened to Derick, she shook her head in humorous terms; every wizarding school had its' pranksters and Tallygarunga was no different. "Back at Hogwarts I believe it was...it was the students of Ravensclaw House who were the resident pranksters, though in the years I was a student and then an instructor I think every house - including Gryffindor, as I recall - had its share of pranksters. The pranks were different depending on the house but most were in good humor. Most, mind you; not all, but most." Before she could reply to Derick's offer of showing her around the school grounds and everywhere, she watched the cart that had been behind him barge into the back of his legs; she giggled at the sight of it for a few moments. "Something needs to slow its' roll, I think," she said deadpan, giggling once more as she watched him kick at the cart gently a few times before it began rolling out of the lecture hall and down the hallway outside. "Correction: I think it already has," she added, also with a bit of Antrim deadpan.... "If you're up for it, the first place I can think of to start off would be the Dead and Magical Languages class. Mostly because it has a commonality with Ancient Runes in that regard. Only fair to see what they're working with," Derick said. After a few moments thought, Tamara shook her head in agreement, pausing just long enough to take her fedora, unroll it and place it back atop her head, the Springbok feather perched on one side, the fedora canted just a hair off-center just the way she wore it. "Sounds good; I've often found that the best students in Rune Studies are also the best students in terms of Dead and Magical Languages, so it only makes sense to start there and work our way around everywhere," she said, pleased to have made at least an acquaintance already. Walking over to where the exits were, she added, "After you, Derick," stepping back a moment so that he could exit first.
  12. After standing at the lectern table for quite some time, Professor Lyell began going through the shelves and drawers inside the table, making sure - as per the handsheet she'd been given upon her arrival at Tallygarunga - that everything needed to teach ancient rune studies inside the lecture hall - chalk erasers, chalk sticks (of multiple colors) and board cleaners, stands - was where it should be and in sufficient quantities. It was a habit of hers going all the way to her first days as an instructor back at Hogwarts and although she wasn't a stickler for habits, they served to underscore, in part, the seriousness of their profession to those they taught. Just as Professor Babbling taught me everything I needed to know about the instruction of ancient runes, she mused, it is imperative that I remember everything-- Suddenly, something caught her ear. For a few moments she thought she was back at Hogwarts and was tempted to call out, "Professor Binns, is that you?" remembering how the old Magic Professor would sometimes come out from the chalkboards or from a wall and startle those unaware of who he was but after a few moments she was certain it wasn't him. These sounds were human. Listening for several moments as someone began cleaning away the tables and lecture chairs inside the hall, Professor Lyell figured it was safe to stand up. Getting up from behind the lectern table, she looked around, a inquisitive eye searching the hall, until she indeed did see someone. Casually, Derrick began to dust it away as if it had been the intention all along. Sometimes one had to improvise when about to look like a homicidal maniac of all that had been wooden, while it was probably true he didn't need to actually excude that kind of image about himself so soon to others. "Oh wait, you're probably the new Professor I've been hearing had been asked for." "That'd be correct, dear sir," Professor Lyell replied, an innocent, rather impish smile across her face, the kind of smile one would give when meeting someone new in a strange land. Taking her fedora off, she rolled it carefully up and slid it underneath the belt to her cargo pants, next to her wand. Most days her wardrobe consisted of cargo pants and a light blouse - normally long-sleeved to cover the tattoos which snaked down both arms. This day, though, given how hot it was outside, she had opted for a short-sleeved dark blue blouse, which meant they were visible to anyone. Not that it bothered her; most of them she'd gotten on her various field expeditions, reminders of times past and adventures across the globe. Being close to the Headmaster's Assistant, certain details typically ended up in his ear faster than the rumors had time to spread. It'd also been one of the few talked about changes around the lounger as well, since the woman seemed to be of a newer face to him it seemed to be the more obvious conclusion. In a fluid motion he sheathed the wand then waved his hand in a eased greeting. "Well, to start out introductions, I'm Derrick Ackers! I'm the not-much-newer Professor of Elemental Magic. And the unlucky bastard who has to watch over the nutty students of Spencer House as their minder. Not an easy gimmick, I assure you!" ""I can imagine," Professor Lyell replied, waving back to him as she walked over to where he was at, offering her hand for a handshake. "Professor Tamara Lyell, the new Professor of Ancient Rune Studies," chuckling quietly as she remembered the last bit of what Professor Ackers had said. "I know the feeling; I was the Head of Gryffindor House back at Hogwarts for three years, so yes I know what it is like to watch over students. To do a good job, I was once told, you must be both fair but firm. Enforce the rules clearly but without favoring one over another...and what do you know, the advice actually worked." Looking around, Professor Lyell added, her Antrim accent quietly evident, "Anyway, after I left here, I was planning to walk the grounds of Tallygarunga, get a lay of the land so to speak, so unless there's anything pressing at the moment..." It sounded a little ballsy, but she figured the best way to learn about everywhere here at Tallygarunga was simply by asking someone already present; at worst, she figured he'd say no and that'd be that. On the other hand, she mused, it would be nice to get a tour of the place from a fellow professor...
  13. ...can you remember remember my name As I flow through your life A thousand oceans I have flown And cold spirits of ice All my life I am the echo of your past.... I am returning the echo of a point in time Distant faces shine A thousand warriors I have known And laughing as the spirits appear All your life Shadows of another day.... - Perfect Strangers, Deep Purple So this is the ancient rune lecture hall, huh?, Professor Tamara Lyell mused as she opened one of the broad doors which marked the entrance to the enormously sized classroom, one of numerous classrooms inside Kookynie Hall. To the untrained eye, the hall looked like it came out of an American western, though to her it looked like a second or third home, the field and lecture hall being her other homes of outside of her new residence over in the Calder Avenue area of town. Setting her leather satchel down on one of the lecture tables at the back of the hall, she sat down and thought about the past week or two and everything that'd happened. It had still surprised her when the exchange approval from Tallygaruna had arrived. When the announcement that an exchange program between Hogwarts and Tallygarunga was in the offing, she had put her name in for consideration prior to the first weeks of the 2017-2018 class schedule and had, like a lot of things, put it in the back of her mind, never thinking it would actually be approved....so you can imagine her surprise towards the end of the school year when Headmistress McGonagall informed her that her exchange request had been granted. At first, shock registered on her, followed by the realization that, in a couple months time, she would be teaching rune studies to students on the other side of the world. A heady opportunity indeed, the Headmistress had said to her. "Oh, no doubt," Professor Lyell replied, the idea of teaching on the other side of the world still sinking in. It wasn't that she was afraid to go; after all, as her father had told her years ago before she'd left her Antrim home to attend Hogwarts as a student, Whatever chance and the vagaries of Fate offer you, Tamara, don't be afraid to seize the opportunities in front of you.... Wise words they were, she thought as she took off her fedora and set it down on the table, the bright and airy Springbok feather sticking proudly from the brim. The hat and feather were symbols of the independent spirit that flowed through her, a spirit that permeated her life, her being. Back at Hogwarts, the easiest way to tell whether Professor Lyell was present or not was to ask if her fedora was hanging from the door hook in her office; if it was, she was there. If not, she was likely in the field somewhere. The fedora, which looked a cross between an American Stetson and an Australian bush hat, had been given to her on one of her first field expeditions by an archaeologist as a sign of respect and whenever she wore it, it was with a little flourish, the hat perched a hair off center. The Springbok feather had been given to her by a South African from the SANDF's Cape Rifles following an expedition into the Kimberley Mountains; the feather symbolized a wandering spirit, not content with simply letting things be. Professor Lyell was someone who loved to rattle the cages of injustice whenever she could and it showed at times. Leaning back in her chair, she looked around, her hands resting at the back of her head as if she were catching a few moments' shuteye before a class...after a few seconds, she sat back up and got up from her chair, sliding it back underneath the table. Picking up her satchel, she slung with over her shoulder, the pack resting softly over her right shoulder. Placing the fedora on her head in the manner of a wizarding Indiana Jones (and given how a few of her field expeditions had gone, it was a pretty decent comparison), Professor Lyell began walking towards the front of the lecture hall, taking a moment or two to straighten up some of the chairs underneath the long lecture tables inside the hall (the tables were long and set in a semi-circle facing towards the broad lectern at the other end of the hall). Walking down to the front of the lecture hall, Professor Lyell took a few moments to drink in the view; in her mind, she could see the lecture hall full of students, eager to learn; Rune Studies was an Elective at Tallygarunga as it was back at Hogwarts, which meant that students didn't have to take the course in order to advance and graduate...but in the decade or so that she had taught the course bac k at Hogwarts, she failed to remember a single time where there wasn't at least twenty students, of multiple levels, who took the class each term. Standing at the lectern table for a long while, she nodded as she thought about the year to come and thought to herself, This is going to be a really good year, I just know it will..... ....Distant bells they started ringing Somewhere far off in the night And the place was full of loneliness That disappeared from sight.... - Stranger, Electric Light Orchestra
  14. Born in 1980 at Royal Antrim Hospital (in County Antrim, Ulster), Tamara Lyell showed from a very early an ability at magic, an ability which her human-born (a/k/a muggleborn) parents could neither figure out or explain (nor something her twin sibling Sarah Lyell, who didn't show any magical powers whatsoever). Shortly before her 11th birthday, Ms. Lyell - as every child approaching their 11th birthday does - embarked for Hogwarts to begin a new chapter in her life. After arriving, she easily adjusted to life away from home, taking to her new world like a duck to water. What intrigued her most, however, were the ancient runes at Hogwarts and the questions surrounding them - where did they come from? what are they saying? who wrote them? Once eligible to take elective classes, she began studying the topic of ancient runes, so much so that she had to reminded by her professors not to neglect her other classes; wise advice, it was, for eventually, when it came exam time, she passed with flying colors (all grades above Exceeds Expectations). As a result, following the end of her seventh year at Hogwarts she was asked whether she would like to continue her studies, this time as a professor of the study of ancient runes; after giving it much thought, Ms. Lyell accepted the offer...and the rest, as they say, is history.
Tamara Rain Lyell
Professor of Ancient Rune Studies 0
38* year old Muggleborn Human She/Her
Age:  38*
Date of Birth: September 30th, 1980
Birthplace: Antrim, Co. Antrim - Ulster, UK
Occupation: Professor of Ancient Rune Studies
Blood Status: Muggleborn
Species: Human
Player:  Guest
Pronouns: She/Her
Patronus: Black swan
Wand: Rowan wood with a Phoenix feather core 10 ¾" and Supple flexibility
Play-by: Tegan Quin


-Sept. 1985 to June 1990: attended Six Mile Water Primary School - Antrim, Ulster

-Aug. 1991 to Aug. 1997: attended Hogwarts; passed her 5th and 7th year exams with grades of Exceeds Expectations

-Jan. 1998 to Dec. 2017: continued studies at Hogwarts as a Professor of Ancient Rune Studies, first under the tutelage of Prof. Bathsheba Babbling as an Asst. Professor than as a Professor in her own right


Parents: Clarence and Nora Lyell

Siblings: one twin sibling, Sarah Keirsten Lyell

Relatives: numerous across County Antrim


-Is deathly afraid of snakes and often asks whenever she runs into them in the field, "Why does it have to be snakes?"

General Knowledge

Has a knack for self-deprecation



Tamara Lyell is a study in contrasts; inside the lecture halls of Tallygarunga (or previously at Hogwarts), she is a calm, learned, studious professor, a scholarly individual willing to teach about ancient runes...in the field, it is a different story, as exemplified in this quote from a conversation she had whilst searching for runes in South Africa....

-Professor Lyell: Plan B? I never have a Plan A most times; I make it up as I go along...

Therein lies the duality of her personality: a willingness to take chances out in the field, a willingness to make mistakes and get her hands dirty in ways that would make others blanche, yet a willingness to teach what she knows to her students, all of whom she would protect with her life if need be.

One thing, however, is sacrosanct to her: regardless of the circumstances, she will never use her wizarding powers in the presence of unapproved humans...which, of course, often ends up leading to Indy Ploy after Indy Ploy after...you get the idea.



Most people, whether inside or outside the wizarding world, often misjudge Professor Lyell's appearance as small and slight...they rarely make that mistake twice. Yes, she's not that tall or stout (about 5'5", 127 lbs or so) but appearances can be deceiving; her lean, wiry figure matches her strong-willed personality, with a dancer's agile frame and wiry, whip-saw like muscles that can be deceptively slight.

Dark brown eyes frame a face is that always makes it look as though she's ready for adventure, whether it be searching for ancient runes in the sands of North Africa or trying to instruct students in the history of ancient runes and their significance to the magical world...

As far as clothing goes, outside of official clothing (her scarlet/gold professorial robes, for instance) most times Professor Lyell wears regular clothing (blouses, cargo pants, hiking boots, etc.) plus a ladies fedora' complete with a Springbok feather (given to her by a South African wizard years ago)....




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