<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/>"Hmm, talking to practitioners of different traditions would be interesting, to learn how a bard or sorcerer spontaneously generates magic effects, or others who contract with patrons.  While I can see how delicate studying wizardry can be with tomes and research, it is at least reassuring that it comes from study and experimentation, rather than randomly generating it, or being beholden to some otherworldly power..."<br/><br/>It was a rather heady conversation, to feel the responsability to learn all he could from the previous generation, discover what he could, and then pass it down to colleagues and other students.  Hearing about their next school destination was a welcome change in mood.  A land where magic was common and practically used sounded like the most common sense application that not many thought of.  While there were fantastic and destructive things magic could do, they were instantaneous effects and impractical; the more "boring" and constructive effects seemed like what the greater society should be focusing on spreading.  Intelligent golems seemed an interesting idea as well, he'd have to see how that worked out, and maybe learn some things himself.<br/>[Maybe someday I'll pick up the Golem Constructor arcane discovery for my own iron defender]<br/><br/>He was also happy to hear that Arturon would be cleared of wrong-doing and restored to his former position.  He didn't deserve to be punished for any jerks in Bemmea, the sooner they left this place, the better.  "Dance?  I'd like to see that, how about it Utari?"<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/>Kleris was listening intently, automatically stopping to look up at the towering archmage, less interested in his annoyed tone than the content.  The question caught him a little off-guard.  There were lessons in magical ethics, sure, but seriously contemplating the damnation of a million innocents for anything?  An analytical part of him wanted to calculate how many others that would have saved, living and future generations, but critical thinking reared up and dismissed the idea that there were only two choices to any situation.  Either sacrifice some number or lose everyone?  "Did the nation consider evacuation?  It seems if the Old Ones were going to take those million themselves, you would get them away, even to another plane.  If this nation's grip is so tenuous, is it impossible to leave?  I admit I don't know your full history and resources, but was that really your only choice, or even yours to make?"  It sounded like rebuilding in a flood plain, and while he always tried to be dilomatic, he was rather annoyed at Arisad's hubris.  He could understand a bitter ruler's threats against a long-gone foreign sabateur, his father, right or wrong was at least politically illigitimate.  He hoped that father had at least considered all the other possibilities and had tried to force Arisad down a different path than a decimating self-sacrifice.  But for the archmage to then suddenly seize him for personal revenge by proxy?  It was incomprehensible, a wizard should have a more rational sense of revenge, if any desire for it.  He was surprised enough to only observe the cursing face in front of him as vision narrowed and hearing muffled, all nerves focusing on flight.  It was just the foreign voice in his head that broke through clearly, though his brain needed a split second to realize the imperative.  He spared another split-second too long looking back at the incomprehensible monster in front of the face of death before leaving it all behind to simply run.  Thankfully his companions were of the same mind, whether they heard the ghostly being or not.<br/><br/>As Lillin opened a gate for them to run, an<em>alarm</em>sounded, and the tower started to reverberate with growing commotion of doors and yelling.  "Whatever happens, let's just be alive to see it!"  They continued trying to find any stairs down, coming to more halls and doors.  Kleris focused on detecting any thoughts behind doors, and choosing an empty one, shoved it open for them to escape through.  Thankfully the tower, while magical and strange, was also practical, and they were able to eventually find passages down, though it took some detours and pauses for Arisad's subordinates to pass by while they hid in side rooms.  Finally, though, they made it to a new door on the ground level, which somehow expelled them from the same door from which they originally entered.  At least now they had an idea where they came from, and started fleeing through the city just as their pursuit came out after them.<br/><br/>[Bluff &<em>detect thoughts</em>9+20 = 29, success]