<div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: andale mono;">Professor Yarminda's Slumber Party</span></span></div><br/>"Music is truly a magical vocation, is it not?" Yarminda mused.  "There are times when I wonder if we could expand Redhurst into a bardic college as well, but even wizardry alone is a dizzying magical discipline."<br/><br/>"And yet here I am, a theurgist," Utari said.  "Plus, I think it will just make even more rivalry between sagely wizards and lore-focused bards.  Oh I can imagine it now!  Skalds debating archaeologists on the authenticity of a dragonslaying saga!"<br/><br/>Elmira laughed.  "We have a dueling hobby, and Spellflag has attracted more than a few physically-minded arcanists, too.  It won't be long before we're overwhelmed by all sorts of spellcasters before long!"<br/><br/>"So, is there any particular reason Redhurst started, and still is, primarily a wizarding academy, Professor?" the harpy sounded both curious and serious.<br/><br/>"Hmm, that is a good question.  Well, five hundred years ago, Aegis and Nammor first created Redhurst not as a school, but as a fortress.  Wizardry is what magical scholars group as a 'prepared discipline.'  It means that said spellcasters derive their power in such a way that they require an external focus.  Like how witches need familiars, clerics need a patron deity, and even wizards need a wand, spellbook, or even tattoos in your case, Asma, to regain their power.  Spontaneous casters, such as bards, oracles, and sorcerers, their magic is inherent, and thus far harder to lose."<br/><br/>"Hmm, so we have more to lose in a way than the sponties," Naila mused as she smoothed out her hair with her hands.<br/><br/>"Exactly.  When a sage dies, or a library is burned, it is a terrible loss on the world.  Not just due to the physical removal, but it represents an end, where no longer can the contained knowledge be passed to others.  A spellbook can be studied, but a sorcerer needs to procreate to pass on their bloodline.  The death of a god can make even the mightiest cleric scarcely stronger than an animal.  There are many lands hostile to spellcasters; who knows how much progress has been lost for every arcane library burnt, every wizard's tower toppled?"<br/><br/>Yarminda's voice lowered.  "It is a loss I have seen far too often.  Redhurst prizes knowledge, and we are not blind to learning the ways of spellcasters who are not magi or wizards, but Redhurst's foundation and legacy is a place where scrolls, spellbooks, and the teachings of wizards shall not only be remembered, but carried on to future eras."<br/><br/>Zull nodded.  "I understand."<br/><br/>Sensing a somber aura of seriousness in the air, Asma clapped her hands.  "So, Yarminda, it's near the end of the month, and I've heard that we're headed to this plane called Eberron next?  Anything you can tell us about it?  Maybe any other secrets planned as well?"<br/><br/>"Eberron is a Material Plane world much like Midgard, at least in the sense that its land was hewn from the bodies of divine dragons.  Where it differs is that magic is not only more common, it has been widely accessible for quite some time to the general populace.  Redhurst's campus will be at the city of Sharn, a huge towering settlement home to floating islands and intelligent golems.  House Cannith was courteous enough to arrange for our stay, and their headquarters has to be seen to believed!"<br/><br/>None of the girls seemed to hail from Eberron, for they were all entranced at Yarminda's words, their eyes shimmering with awe.<br/><br/>"Oh, and there's another exciting thing I have to tell you all, Utari in particular, but you have to promise to keep it a secret until we<em>plane shift</em>off of Midgard, alright?" she asked with a wink.<br/><br/>"We've done some investigation into the matters of an earlier incident at the school trip to Bemmea, and found that we overreached our hand a little.  Arturon's prefect status will be reinstated at the first of the month.  But we can't do it now; First Primarch Arisad might take it as a snub."<br/><br/>Utari squealed with delight.  "Oh he's going to be so happy to hear this!  Please let me be the one to tell him, please!"<br/><br/>"Maybe, we'll see, although if it's done officially I think he'll appreciate it more if the Headmaster hands him back his badge.  You and the other prefects will be there to swear him back in."<br/><br/>"Does this mean upon re-entering he'll have to do the Initiation Dance again?"<br/><br/>"Well, that's entirely up to you and the other prefects, dear," Yarminda answered, giggling.<br/><br/><hr/><br/><div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: andale mono;">Archtowers of Bemmea</span></span></div><br/><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">Kleris' brow furrowed slightly, he was not entirely expecting this.  He had hoped it wasn't simply a death trap, opening the door to magical annihilation, or even a mundane shanking, but the friendly primarch admitting he'd wanted to meet for a long time was also unsettling.  "Thank you, sir..." he nodded, joining him at the stairwell, gathering his thoughts.  The expanding doors to additional horizontal towers and the like were unusual, but not surprising for an archmage's tower, and Kleris was focused more on Arisad, like a friendly tiger that might turn around and devour him at any moment.<br/><br/>"So you apparently knew my father, but why have you been anticipating our meeting?  While I am his son, I have no had any business with him besides hearing a few tales of his adventurers before he disappeared.  What business do we have?  I would ask what you know about Breyton Merchiot; what do you want?"</blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br/>"Decades ago, Breyton Merchiot visited the world of Midgard.  He appeared a man who carried a heavy burden on his shoulders, as though he had everything in the world to lose.  In spite of this, he still saw fit to intrude into matters beyond his ken."<br/><br/>Arisad's tone of voice sounds irritated as he thinks back to days long past.  He stopped walking, leaving the archmage and Kleris' ensemble in a dimly lit hallway of prismatic swirls running down its length.<br/><br/>"The nation of Allain suffered greatly, just to survive.  In spite of all our power, we must do things other civilizations never had to contemplate, for even the stakes of mortal wars and economic ruin are put pittances in comparison should the Great Old Ones walk the land again.  Your father did not, could not, understand the sacrifices people such as I had to make."<br/><br/>He turns around to face Kleris with a strange grace, and it is not immediately apparent that Arisad is now floating an inch off the ground.  "Tell me Kleris, if you were in the position of having to sacrifice a million souls to eternity beyond reality, so that you may complete a ritual to preserve the present and future souls of your countrymen, would you do so?  Would you still do it, even if there was risk it wouldn't work, but the only alternative was to sit and wait?  Waiting for the surrounding hellscape which doomed dozens of other mighty magocracies the opportunity to destroy yours finally?"<br/><br/>"This is trading one form of torment for another," Carson answered.  "Those million souls will hardly spot the difference between the two fates."<br/><br/>"That is for Kleris to answer!" Arisad responded with an unexpected boom in his voice.  "Breyton did not understand what was necessary to preserve Allain; when he found out, he threatened to send our plans amok, and he succeeded, for a time.  Due to his meddling, twelve of our nation's greatest minds were torn away years ago by skybleeding horrors at the borders.  And a village's crops became like ooze, the soil alive with uncountable numbers of...things... literally eating the earth to make a massive sinkhole which only grew in time.  The deaths of people today is merciful in comparison to a slow death."<br/><br/>Rensha walked to Kleris' side, but said nothing.  Her glare indicated she did not agree with his line of thought.<br/><br/>"And like a coward, he stole away to another plane, unwilling to face the enormity of his deeds.  This is your father, Kleris, this is the man who abandoned you without a word.  I am not surprised that he cannot even face his own daughter, after all that happened."<br/><br/>Zull spoke.  "Even so, we must find him for closure.  If it is as you say, then we need to know why he did what he did."<br/><br/>"If I knew how to find him, then he'd be dead, his soul an offering to the places between the planes as a pittance for his crimes."  Every word out of Arisad dripped with venom now, of restrained fantasies of pain and suffering that could only the result of a man who lived every waking day with hate in his heart.<br/><br/>And then with sudden speed, his arm stretched forth and clutched Kleris tightly by the arm, nails digging into flesh.<br/><br/>"As his spawn, you will have to do!"<br/><br/>The next few seconds seemed to slow down, as Kleris ring glowed brightly.  Zull screeched in anger as Carson and Rensha drew their blades, only for one of the prismatic protections to come to life in vibrant arcs homing in on the group.  Arisad's lips formed terrible incantations, of spells of death and words of power which caused Kleris' ears to ring in pain even before the magic was complete.<br/><br/><em>No you will not.</em><br/><br/>(http://i.imgur.com/6097HZJ.jpg?1)<br/><br/>Unhindered by the apparent slowdown (or perhaps the cause of it?), a strange translucent being poured out from the ring, its giant claws snapping at the archmage's waist and arm and throwing him down the hall.  Its form was akin to some deepsea creature Professor Murrin once talked about in the darkest of dungeons, and it did not speak or order in a tongue, it<em>thought,</em>and Kleris and his entourage knew its thoughts.<br/><br/><em>Run Kleris!</em><br/><br/>Arisad redirected himself as some electric force pulled him back to a hovering position in the air.  In his eyes, Kleris could see only thoughts of death.<br/><br/><em>RUN!</em><br/><br/>The order was soundless, yet its intensity was equivalent to a person grabbing Kleris' face to look him straight in the eye and yell the command at the top of their lungs.<br/><br/>They tried to go the way they came back, but the portal led into a decidedly unfamiliar place.  The sound of arcane fire roared behind them, the ring-being giving all its energy to hold Arisad off.<br/><br/>Arturon, Carson, Edgar, Kleris, Lillin, Rensha, and Zull were now in a large square room with everburning torches lining its walls in even spaces.  Adamantine gates on the north, east, and western walls were closed, although a<em>knock</em>spell by Lillin forced one of them open.<br/><br/>"Are you all okay?!" Edgar squawked.<br/><br/>"Yes, I'm fine!" Rensha exclaimed.  "We have to get back to Redhurst immediately.  Even Arisad is not crazy enough to risk going against Headmaster Andarlin."<br/><br/>"I don't know, he seems quite bloodthirsty," Arturon whimpered.<br/><br/>"Then he'll die all the quicker," Carson said.<br/><br/><br/><em>The first priority is for Kleris to get the Nine Hells out of Bemmea and back to Redhurst, which is easier said than done.  No doubt Arisad has traps, minions, and a personal array of spells to hinder their progress.  Kleris can take one of several actions listed below to help in his escape.  A successful check earns Kleris 1 Escape Point; a failure earns 1 Obstacle Point.  Kleris needs 1 Escape Point to get out of the Tower, and another to make it to Bemmea's bridge.  A third is necessary to outmaneuver Bemmea's scouts on the way back to Redhurst.<br/><br/>Obstacle Points will create additional encounters/traps/etc.  If these obstacles are tackled, they count as 1 Escape Point.  It's like Failing Forward from 13th Age.  Even a bad die roll can move the plot forward!<br/><br/>If you have any other suggestions and plans, I'll be glade to hear them!</em><br/><br/><strong>Sneak:</strong>Clever applications of<em>Obscure Object, Rope Trick,</em>or even<em>Dimension Door</em>might help avoid the lower-end of Arisad's obstacles.  This requires a DC 20 Stealth, with a circumstance bonus equal to double the spell level cast in its use.  In this case<em>Invisibility</em>will not provide its ordinary +20/+40 bonus.  It can only work for so long, on account of<em>See Invisibility,</em>tremorsense, and other countermeasures in place.<br/><br/><strong>Go All-Out:</strong>Fighting is one of the universal languages, sex, hunger, and magic being the others.  Kleris must help contribute to Carson and Rensha's combat prowess with his own spells, rolling an attack roll against a 20 AC.  Kleris can add his Intelligence modifier instead of his Strength or Dexterity to the roll, and adds double the spell level as a circumstance bonus.<br/><br/><strong>Cat and Mouse:</strong>Kleris tries to trick Arisad by predicting what he wants.  Use of<em>Disguise Self</em>to throw him off, an illusory gambit to direct his rage, and other uses of misdirection are in order.  Kleris must roll a Bluff check vs. DC 25 to succeed, adding double the spell level used as a circumstance bonus.<br/><br/><strong>Dungeon Delve:</strong>Thinking hard on the lessons in Professor Murrin's trap-tackling class, Kleris visualizes the archtower as a dungeon to complete.  By rolling a Knowledge (Dungeoneering) against a DC 20, Kleris guesses where secret passages, hidden traps, and where various facilities will be logically located.  A successful check effectively means that Kleris can visualize a map for the place, even if said place is chock-full of magic portals and size-changing rooms!  Usable only within the Tower.<br/><br/><strong>Collateral Damage:</strong>Bemmea is home to many rival schools and twisting roadways.  Arisad is angry, and although he's an archmage, the sheer amount of magic in the area can be a hindrance depending on what's activated.  Even a jumpy wizard on the way home from work might fire off a<em>dispel magic</em>spell in self-defense and end up taking out one of the Primarch's summoned creatures.<br/><br/>Kleris rolls his choice of Knowledge (Engineering), Knowledge (Local), or Perception to pinpoint potential sources of magical mayhem.  Kleris must be in the city of Bemmea in order to do this.