<div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote"><a href="https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=205751.msg13484213#msg13484213">Quote from: Chloe Milev on 03-09-2017, 07:27:44</a></div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote"><br/><div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: andale mono;">Day 86, the Race of Eight Winds</span></span></div><br/>Kleris listened to everyone’s comments and counsel, nodding and pondering.  It seemed everyone was in agreement about investigating the homunculus, but differed on precisely how, or who.<br/><br/>“I’ve been able to go to Professor Yarminda with delicate issues, and she was mostly concerned with how to help, rather than school rules and protocols.  But yes, I hesitate to tell just anyone and everyone about our concerns and plans.  I wonder if it would be prudent, however, to leave a note to be found or delivered if we don’t return from an exploratory excursion into the catacombs within a certain time.  Being rescued by faculty and then punished would be better than some fates.<br/>In the case of funds, um, there is a business venture that I’m helping to organize…”  He was trying to be discreet and low-key about the calendar in a group setting, but had a few potential models right here, and Lillin was also there to help convince them.  “Well, it’s a modeling job for some of the girls, and also some work capturing some of the images.  Rensha?  I think you might be very helpful with setting up shots and taking some images, I trust your eye for this.  And Zull?  I think you would be pretty popular as a model, if you’d be a subject?</blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br/>"A model? Me?" Zull asked, a bit surprised. "That's a great idea, Kleris!"<br/><br/>Carson rolled his eyes.<br/><br/>"Oh don't be such a pessimist!" Lillin replied at the magus' expression. "It's safe, it's easy, and she-<em>we,</em>are beautiful girls! Better than cleaning out privies or blasting at rats in a basement!"<br/><br/>Rensha smiled. "I think this can work out, actually. But on the off chance we don't get enough money, we should also look into other means of employment. Although I get the feeling that we'll get what we need when we put our minds to it!"<br/><br/>"That's the spirit!" Zull expressed. "We need to set things up and get the right dresses and suits and..."<br/><br/>The drow's enthusiasm was palpable. Even Carson gave the tiniest hint of a smile, only to turn his face away when Kleris saw it.<br/><br/>(https://i.imgur.com/dHMSbTw.jpg)<br/><br/>The rest of the day was passed by happily. When the Race of Eight Winds began it was announced via a set of<em>ventriloquism</em>enhanced announcers.<br/><br/><strong>"Markados IX takes a strong early lead!"</strong><br/><br/>The crowd in the cafe cheered for the pegasus. There was a single gnome woman who watched with her arms folded.<br/><br/>"Likely a Sharkunk fan, haha," Rensha whispered to Kleris.<br/><br/>The griffon-bound Countess von Hansmark was right behind the Markados IX, followed by a small gnome-driven airship.<br/><br/>The gnome woman quickly raised a gold-and-black flag as they passed. "I'm right here honey! I know you can win it!"<br/><br/>The racers flew farther across the skyline of towers until they were but blips on the horizon, blending in with the other colors and features of Sharn. Still, the magically-enhanced announcers continued to inform the listeners.<br/><br/><strong>Oh, and Sharkunk takes an unorthodox maneuver by bounding off Xerney's flight deck. And now Sharkunk is in the lead! We're just hundreds of feet away from the finish line, who will win. It's going to be close, it's going to-</strong><br/><br/>Even the waitresses stopped in the middle of the floor. Everyone collectively held their breaths.<br/><br/><strong>COUNTESS VON HANSMARK AND LEDERSPEAK ARE FIRST! SHARKUNK SECOND! MARKADOS IX THIRD! AMAZING, THIS IS THE GREATEST UPSET IN RACING HISTORY, I CANNOT BELIEVE MY EYES!</strong><br/><br/>Quite a few patrons looked downcast at hearing their favorite racer coming in third. A few, such as an upbeat waitress, had some choice words. "That damn Sharkunk, I bet that 'unorthodox maneuver' was a cheat! We should get a team of diviners to prove this!"<br/><br/>She sat down the food and drinks so heavily at an adjacent table that a bread roll flew out and into Zull's coffee. The drow glared down at the splashed mess.<br/><br/>"Hey, it's not so bad," Carson said as he grabbed the bread roll out and took a bite. "Free bread!"<br/><br/>Everyone at the table just stared at him.<br/><br/>"Did you...make a joke just now?" Rensha asked.<br/><br/><hr/><br/><div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: andale mono;">Calendar Hunt</span></span></div><br/>Thanks in no small part to Kleris' dedication, the photo club studio was packed to the brim with nearly two dozen girls. Instead of school proper it was a rented indoor pool in Myshan Gardens, a quiet middle class district of townhouses whose idyllic quietness served as an ideal haven for artists and creative types. Everyone Kleris knew by name shown up and more, along with a disguised Carson now regretting his decision to come. (https://i.pinimg.com/originals/44/0a/39/440a39f1ebbd03cb1e8ba6fcef446a0f.png) Rachel was there, looking absolutely pleased at the turnout when she wasn't flirting with the imagists.<br/><br/>Over the next several days, an entire calendar's worth of bikini shots were generated (https://imgur.com/a/3f4m2) along with some unused surplus images. With the aid of theater props and some illusion magic, almost-real surroundings of sunny beaches and mansion pools were created. The girls were having genuine fun too, as could be felt when Naila and Zull squeezed up in a "best friends hug" with Kleris for one of the poses. Rensha was a natural pick as photographer, for her subconscious gaze knew what spots to focus on for maximum sex appeal, while her experience in the showers allowed her not focus entirely on the breasts and butts (which some of the more amateur male imagists ended up "accidentally" snapping).<br/><br/>Eventually it came time for the Secret Nudes shots, a subject which the male imagists approached Rachel and Kleris with some trepidation.<br/><br/>"So, ummm, of the girls...are any willing to 'bare it all?'"<br/><br/>The affirmative answer, along with the sheer number willing, caused the guys to let out a congratulatory victory cry.<br/><br/>"But don't forget, boys," Rachel said with a sultry yet commanding tone. "This is<em>artistic nudity,</em>so don't let your lower heads mess up the shots. If you have to relieved yourselves beforehand to concentrate..."<br/><br/>Subtly walking over to one of the guys, the succubus touched his cheek. "I'll be more than willing to help..."<br/><br/>The entire club was more or less falling upon each to be first, only for the pandemonium to be broken by Zull's shout from an adjoining room.<br/><br/>"Hey guys, how long are you going to be in there? It's getting cold and we're waiting!"<br/><br/>Alas, Rachel's offer went unfulfilled for the moment, and soon copies of a more risque type of calendar were created. The summoned squids proved quite a hit, as their fiendish nature made them much more predatory on Kleris and others' nubile, vulnerable flesh. One time it was taken a bit too far with a group of elf and drow students, prompting Rensha to promptly send them back to their home plane early with her black blade. But otherwise the Secret Nudes photoshoot was a rousing success, (https://imgur.com/a/tykNSIk) although by the photoshoot's end the male students looked positively drained.<br/><br/>"Poor guys," Lillin said as she was slipping on underwear with the other girls. "All this teasing for hours and no way to let it out."<br/><br/>"They got off easy," Asma replied. "Hours of all these still positions are making my feet hurt!"<br/><br/>"I concur," Rachel answered as she suddenly appeared between Lillin and Kleris. "Since we're all here and undressed, why don't we have some fun before heading back?"<br/><br/>One by one she flit between the girls, making persuasive arguments. (https://elliquiy.com/forums/dicebot.php?r=106864)<br/><br/>"Lilly, you always had a thing for Raheem? Well now's the perfect time to make him yours."<br/><br/>"Zull, you're a single woman now. You should experiment more with finding the right guy...or girl."<br/><br/>"Filomena, I noticed you glancing quite a bit at him over there. I saw him looking the same way at you, too...even when he wasn't<em>capturing your image."</em><br/><br/>Even without using enchantment Rachel knew exactly the right words to say to impressionable teenage girls, to give them that extra push of conquering their initial shyness into unshackling their inhibitions. Bitten lower lips, raised heartbeats, the utterly sensual atmosphere generated from the last hours' events...it was enough to make the students fall upon each other, grasping at uniforms and underwear heedless of the lack of privacy.<br/><br/>"Ah, I can't change back for some reason!" Carson exclaimed as a pair of guys groped him from the front and back. "Kleris, this better not be one of your pranks!"<br/><br/>Soon enough Kleris felt Rensha hug him from behind. Covertly passing into his hand a<em>potion of alter self,</em>she ran her free hand through his hair.<br/><br/>"I know it's not appropriate, but I want you now..." she softly whispered.<br/><br/><hr/><br/><div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: andale mono;">Day Day 90, Weekend</span></span></div><br/>Kleris can choose 2 activities for today, one of which is automatically<strong>Relationship.</strong><br/><br/><strong>Helping Hand:</strong>Clean out the stables, assist the cooks in the cafeteria, help manage the school store, or a similar activity.  This can be a comfortable way to earn some money.  Roll a Profession check.  The result is the amount of gold pieces earned for helping out; alternatively you can triple the value if you choose to accept it in the form of material components and other school supplies.<br/><br/><strong>Relationship:</strong>Hang out with a friend, be they a student or teacher.  You might be able to further a Relationship Level with them by helping them out with some task.<em>As it's assumed that Kleris will be visiting Lillin and Marcus, this is one of the two activities pre-selected.</em><br/><br/><strong>Relax:</strong>Catch up on sleep, tour the campus, enjoy life.  Your mind is at ease, stress gone.  The next roll that you make, you can re-roll and take the better result.<br/><br/><strong>Study:</strong>By sequestering yourself in the Redhurst Library of the Arcane, you can opt to learn a 0, 1st, or 2nd level Wizard spell you do not know.  Alternatively you can pick Study twice and learn a 3rd level spell.<br/><br/><div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: andale mono;">Marcus and Lillin</span></span></div><br/>It seemed an odd location to visit, on account of Redhurst's Library of the Arcane, but any opportunity to partake of the books of other cultures (and beyond the school's magic-centric subject matter) seemed like a good opportunity to the minotaur and tiefling, so they took a skycab to the Golden Horn inn in the University District.<br/><br/>"Why not Morgrave?" Marcus asked.<br/><br/>Lillin waved a hand dismissively. "They're second-rate, and rumor has it they don't come across all their funds legitimately. Besides, the Golden Horn is a multi-purpose inn-slash-music hall-slash-news place. Besides, Dean Stentelindrabree recommended it above all others in Sharn!"<br/><br/>The skycab came to a stop on a platform, across which a multi-story upscale building cast a magnificent scene. Its sign, a golden octagon of a skald playing a horn, perched right above the main entrance. A pair of nonagressive assassin vines open the doors as the trio approached.<br/><br/>"Wow, fancy!" Marcus exclaimed. "I didn't know you could get plants to do that!"<br/><br/>"Well maybe they're not plants," Lillin intoned. "Maybe they're prisoners cursed into such forms as punishment against the city! I heard that the Brelish crown has ways of making examples against her enemies."<br/><br/>Lillin was<em>levitating</em>over Marcus, wiggling her fingers in imitation of a wraith while the minotaur naively believed every word she said.<br/><br/>"I...I didn't know that," Marcus gulped.<br/><br/>"I'm just kidding silly!"<br/><br/>...<br/><br/>(https://i.imgur.com/iv7qj5t.jpg)<br/><br/>The Golden Horn made an example of beauty that only a bard could do. Fresco tiles on the floors portrayed scenes of splendor in the natural world, from sunlit beaches to forests in the bloom of spring. The western portion was an entire dining hall with meals drawn from just about every culture big and small on Khorvaire. An upraised stage sat for musicians to play melodies as folks dined; the less than stellar yet very loud performance became apparent at the sign of an "Amateur's Night" leading into the room. The northern section housed a library with many tomes, all of which oddly bore the Common script of Kleris' home plane.<br/><br/>Marcus and Lillin already got a stack of books to read, the minotaur bearing far larger stack than Lillin's on account of his powerful build. Setting them down on a table, Lillin took some of his portion, revealing that the tiefling was the more bookish one today.<br/><br/>"This is quite a great selection," she said to Marcus and Kleris. "What books did you pick out? I chose some regarding Eberron's spiritual traditions and religion. Apparently the connection to the divine is weaker here than on other planes, and I intend to find out why!"<br/><br/>"I doubt an objective answer will be found within a day," Marcus replied as he sat down on an extra-large chair. "I know not to judge a book by its cover, but this tome regarding the elves of the southern island intrigued me."<br/><br/>It was a green book showing a city of light and stone on a jungle-strewn plateau.<em>A History of Aerenal.</em><br/><br/>"What did you get, Kleris?" The minotaur's long shadow shrouded quite a bit of text even on the cover books, so it was only natural he'd ask such a question.