<div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;"><span class="bbc_u">College of Dimensional Studies</span></span></div><br/>Unlike Munira, Neferi couldn't stop looking around the Inner City, taking in the living history. It was all she had imagined, and more.<br/><br/>Though she felt somewhat inadequate when even her investigative techniques couldn't locate a door into the College. "I don't know if I have anything that would help," she said, helplessly. "I'd heard about a spell that detects secret doors before, but I'd never thought we'd ever come across a situation where it would be actually useful..." She kicked the wall in frustration, but it remained solid and she only got a hurting toe for her trouble.<br/><br/>Her mood wasn't improved when she learned that there was no door from the young teleporting man. "Screw them and their snobby teleport club!" she ranted when she and Munira were alone once more. "But I guess we don't have any choice other than to play their game. Let's get a teleport scroll!"<br/><br/><div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;"><span class="bbc_u">Dawn Gate</span></span></div><br/>Neferi was tempted to splurge on souvenirs as she passed by the shops, but she reminded herself that she needed to save the gold for the scroll. If there was something extra left over then she could think about non-essential purchases, but not before.<br/><br/>"One thousand one hundred and twenty-five!" She repeated the gnome's asking price incredulously, suddenly very glad for her self-restraint. "That's highway robbery! And then kidnap and ransom on top of that!" But there seemed to be no other way around it. "Fine, we'll be back with the gold," she huffed.<br/><br/>"It's got to be collusion," she hypothesized to Munira, on the way to the Immaculate Repository. "The College creates an artificial demand for teleport scrolls, the scrollmakers inflate prices, and then they split their profits."<br/><br/><div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;"><span class="bbc_u">Immaculate Repository</span></span></div><br/>For some reason, Neferi was slightly more on edge in the Immaculate Repository than elsewhere. "Technically this is a temple of Abadar," she whispered to Munira softly so as not to be overheard. "I hope they don't mind a follower of Calistria like me..." she had been drawn to the goddess of revenge ever since she had first heard of her.<br/><br/>Eventually their number was called, and for a moment Neferi's hopes rose as it seemed they might have found a break at last, only to be dashed to pieces by yet more bureaucratic obstacles and business jargon. "You should think about joining, Muni," she suggested, not entirely jokingly. "At this rate we might need to come back next year."<br/><br/>Zero for three, Neferi was starting to get discouraged by the time they resorted to seeking out a loan. So when they finally found a financial analyst willing to lend a sympathetic ear, she seized the opportunity for all it was worth. Even though his joke about their homeland was cringeworthy, she forced a giggle and played along. "Don't mind my sister, she's always sulking like this. We'd be delighted to do business with you!"<br/><br/>It even worked too, the deal was worked out and papers produced in no time. Granted, Neferi was slightly suspicious why three languages were required for what was supposed to be a simple loan, but beggars couldn't be choosers. Determined to seal the deal before this chance slipped away too, she gave the documents a cursory read-through, and after satisfying herself that there were no obvious rip-offs in the clauses, went ahead and signed them.<br/><br/>"This calls for a celebration," the victorious marid declared when all was said and done. "To the baths!"<br/><br/><div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;"><span class="bbc_u">Trillia's Bathhouse</span></span></div><br/>"Ah, this is the life," Neferi sighed as she soaked in the water, her cares cast off like her clothing. After a long day in the dry desert air, a bath had never felt so good.<br/><br/>Being in the springs instead of a private chamber was conductive towards meeting new and interesting people, and she resolved to try it more often. Her interest was piqued: another pair of sisters, and capable of jaunts too. "My name's Neferi, but my friends call me Nefi," she introduced herself. And then, just when things were beginning to take a turn for the better - getting a loan, making new friends - of course the multiverse had to crush their dreams again.<br/><br/>"Wait, what? Are you serious?<em>All</em>the College's rooms are disconnected?" Neferi was naturally incredulous at the news. "What if someone gets a hankering for a snack in the middle of the night? Or gods forbid, feel a sudden call of nature? That's ridiculous, not to mention discriminatory - we<em>are</em>the children of extraplanar beings, and you don't see us teleporting everywhere, do you?" She turned towards Munira. "Don't worry Muni, I don't want to stay with a bunch of snobs like the College either. Maybe we can put the loan on hold and try the Pathfinder Society first, actually come to think of it, we should have gone to the Pathfinders first..." caught up in the how of getting inside the College, Neferi hadn't stopped to think whether she should at all.<br/><br/>Before Neferi had a chance to wallow too much in self-pity, though, Miyako was snapping them out of it with a well-timed splash fight. If a splash fight against a pair of marids could ever be well-timed. "Challenging a marid to a water fight?" Neferi sneered imperiously. "You know not what forces you trifle with!"<br/><br/>Neferi drew upon the elemental forces of water permeating her surroundings, in the process discovering that ley lines running beneath the baths. In a stroke of inspiration she realized that she could make use of them... "Actually, you'll find out right... now!" The water in the springs began to spin and slosh, picking up speed until it formed a miniature whirlpool that sent the human sisters sprawling. Even Munira wasn't spared, while Neferi stood strong in the eye of the storm.<br/><br/>Spellcraft: 29 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4881530/)<br/>"Damage": 18 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4881533/)