<div align="center"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: andale mono;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;">Day 79, Change Starts at Home</span></span></div><br/>Conversation could be heard from the other side of the class door here and there, n doubt Merrix d'Cannith and Dean Doil prepping for today's lesson.<br/><br/>"This is not enough scrolls..."<br/><br/>"Fine, I'll draw from my own reserve..."<br/><br/>The sudden opening of the doors sent Andrei and Lillin reeling back in shock.<br/><br/>"You may enter now," Merrix said without any further words.<br/><br/>The classroom's interior had a huge white circular platform, about 30 feet in circumference. Brass rings hung from its side in equidistant intervals. Merrix stood by it, but did not speak. The whole class was silent, waiting for their teacher to give the first word.<br/><br/>"So, what have you built?"<br/><br/>There was more silence for a little while. Rensha raised her hand.<br/><br/>"I built a pair of adamantine scissors."<br/><br/>"Do they work?"<br/><br/>Rensha blinked. "Well, I haven't tested them out yet, but..."<br/><br/>Merrix shook his head. "Come to the table."<br/><br/>With but a wave of his hand, a thin sheet of iron materialized on the platform. Walking forth, Rensha held out her scissors as though wielding her black blade. Clamping down in its top, she cut through the sheet like a knife through butter.<br/><br/>"Good, a very practical tool," Merrix said. "We'll test each of your tools to the role they're suited for; if they work, you pass. If they don't, you fail."<br/><br/>"May the best artisan win, then," Dean Doil said with a weak smile. Clearly this wasn't his strong suit.<br/><br/>...<br/><br/>Andrei's waterproof jug worked in containing the water initially, except then the liquid turned into gaseous vapors.<br/><br/>"You used too much frazbulbs, causing the water to dissipate. Fail."<br/><br/>...<br/><br/>Merrix put the gnoll's glass tube in his mouth; most of the class did not know what it was.<br/><br/>"Hey, it's turning red on the end!"<br/><br/>Taking it out, it was indeed redder, the interior liquid having moved up.<br/><br/>"Hmmm, 98 degrees, right around the average human body temperature. Pass."<br/><br/>...<br/><br/>"Kleris, come down."<br/><br/>Admiring the diadem presented, he looked it over. "I take it this is not just for aesthetic value?" he asked.<br/><br/>Upon hearing the answer, he nodded. "Well then, we shall test it."<br/><br/>Twin birdlike constructs materialized on the platform, one iron, one brass.<br/><br/>"The brass one's your ally. Distract the other."<br/><br/>As soon as he ended the last word, the pair of artificial avians swooped into the air with twin screeches. The iron falcon looped around so that it was behind the brass bird. Then it dived in for an attack!<br/><br/>Iron Falcon rolled low enough that Kleris auto-succeeds. (https://elliquiy.com/forums/dicebot.php?r=87428)<br/><br/>The lionhead let out a powerful roar, causing the iron falcon to become briefly distracted. It was enough for the brass falcon to dive out of the way, resulting in the iron falcon crashing into the wall and falling to the ground with a loud<em>clang!</em><br/><br/>"Impressive," Merrix said. "Pass."<br/><br/>...<br/><br/>Then came Lillin's turn. The cover piqued even the teachers' curiosity. Standing with a big smile on her face, she took off the curtain revealing a painting:<br/><br/>(https://i.imgur.com/Q2kbWI6.jpg?1)<br/><br/>It was quite blurry in places, and the finer detail was hard to make out, but it was a definite shape of a bat-winged woman. For an amateur it was rather good in the limited timeframe it could be created.<br/><br/>"It's a painting of my progenitor," Lillin said proudly. "Likely my great-grandmother or further down the line."<br/><br/>Merrix did not seem impressed. "This is a work of art, and thus entirely judged on aesthetic value," he said. "I cannot grade it for its practicality. Fail."<br/><br/>"Wait, what do you mean<em>fail?!</em>"<br/><br/>"When I made this assignment, it was expected that I'd be discussing material of a value related to industry. And although I'm not a painter, this work appears...unfinished."<br/><br/>"You said that we could choose a project of our choice last week!" Lillin said, stomping her feet. "And what about Meilin's ivory flute?! You gave that a passing grade!"<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">OOC</div><div class="spoiler_body">Kleris can intervene at any time.</div></div><br/>"The flute was capable of making the proper sounds befitting such an instrument," Merrix answered, tone unchanging. "If we were to grade the performance which came out of it, we'd be teaching the Redhurst Dramatics Club."<br/><br/>Lillin took a deep breath to regain her composure. "You said that we had our choice of project last week. As a painter, I chose the area in which I'm most skilled.<br/><br/>"She's right on that count," Dean Doil said. "Perhaps we should determine the grade by the impressions people have of it?"<br/><br/>"I like it!" Andrei called out. "Rough around the edges, but nice."<br/><br/>"I-I agree," Rensha said. "It's a fine work!"<br/><br/>"Save me your lies!" Merrix exclaimed, his voice suddenly raising.<br/><br/>"You're all trying to cover for her, weigh the decision in the belief that I'll be moved to a passing grade. But you all forget one thing." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypey6fPcHhQ)<br/><br/>"I am your teacher, and the leader of the Dragonmarked House of Cannith. My classroom and my foundries have no room for people who think that mere persuasion is enough to learn the ways of an artisan. You will either heed my words, or receive a failing grade. The choice is yours."<br/><br/>"You don't have the authority to say that," Dean Doil interjected. "I'm still the Dean of Thaumant, Lillin's paper will be graded, honestly, by an art critic. Then the both of us can see whether she passes or fails."<br/><br/>"Professor Doil," Merrix d'Cannith said, "I trust that you're doing this out of academic integrity. Very well. Lillin, your project's final grade is put on hold for the time being. I'd use that opportunity to improve on your work."<br/><br/><hr/><br/><div align="center"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: andale mono;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;">Day 79, Mess Hall</span></span></div><br/>Lillin was fuming, chewing through her dinner a little too quickly. "What right-"<br/><br/><em>smack!</em><br/><br/>"-does he have-"<br/><br/><em>snarf!</em><br/><br/>"to redefine the rules like that?!"<br/><br/>"Not to defend him," Arturon replied, "but paintings are often a subjective affair. Not something a forgeworker can judge so easily."<br/><br/>"That's not the point! He didn't even give it an opinion before handing down the ha-"<br/><br/>Lillin stopped, her eyes watered. She swallowed a bit too much and was choking on her bacon. Utari stood up in shock and was about to leap over the table, but quick intervention by another stopped her.<br/><br/>Suddenly Lillin was grabbed from behind by a pair of arms, which pressed against her stomach and moved upwards, expelling the stuck food. The tiefling was gasping as though coming up from a deep dive in Lake Lethe.<br/><br/>"You okay? That's what you get for talking with your mouth full."<br/><br/>(https://i.imgur.com/qeUjDnd.jpg?1)<br/><br/>At first the face was unfamiliar to Kleris, but then things clicked. She was the elven maiden from the<em>magnificent mansion</em>party Kleris saw riding Andrei's cock. (https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/c/ce/ElfServants.jpg)<br/><br/>"Sorry to interrupt, but I heard that one of Andrei's friends is an enchanter. I wanted your opinion on an issue."<br/><br/>"That's Kleris," Arturon, Lillin, and Utari said in unison.<br/><br/>"Ah. Well nice to meet you, Kleris. My name is Sella. I was wondering...if one had been enchanted, is there any way to tell in the future?"<br/><br/><em>Kleris knows that any such spell which can divine the past is out of reach of most Redhurst apprentices, not to mention experienced diviners. Detect Charm can work, but only on currently active spells.<br/><br/>Kleris also gets the feeling that said question might pertain to the magnificent mansion party.</em><br/><br/>"Are you worried that someone cast a spell upon you without your consent?" Utari asked.<br/><br/>"Well, actually, earlier today I got hit with a sudden case of dizziness," Sella said, "thereby failing a foot race. I suspect the<em>daze</em>spell, but it was hours ago. It's nothing big, just a friendly game, but I'd like to know if my competitor's a cheater. Well, I'll be in the Left Dorms if you come up with anything; go back to your food, and eat slowly, teehee."<br/><br/>"Hmmm, didn't know Andrei was going out with her."<br/><br/>Utari sighed. "Seriously, Arturon? Andrei may be handsome, but not every girl who's his friend is necessarily going out with him."<br/><br/>"Nah, I think Arturon's right," Lillin said.<br/><br/>Utari looked on in confusion.<br/><br/>"You're clueless," Lillin said. "Vampires have an ability where they can stare into a target's eyes and erode their will. She might be worried if her relationship is real, if you know what I mean."<br/><br/>"Really, you think that Andrei's-!" Arturon interjected.<br/><br/>Lillin shook her head. "No no, it's more the principle of it. Even if you know you're in love, or going out, if you know that your partner can do that, it requires a lot of trust to know that your love is given of your own free will. Alas, it is the Enchanter's Dilemma."<br/><br/>"I know Andrei," Utari said. "I used to give him my blood back-well, before I was in a relationship. But maybe he's using it to get his fill?"<br/><br/>"Let's not jump to any conclusions!" Lillin exclaimed. "There's only one way we can find out; she what he's up to...subtly. If he's feeding on enchanted girls, then we jump 'em!"<br/><br/>"I don't know," Arturon said. "It should be up to the prefects to keep an eye, and we should make sure that that's really Sella's problem and not the other thing. Kleris, what do you think? You're the resident expert on this type of magic."<br/><br/><hr/><br/><div align="center"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: andale mono;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;">Day 80, the Big Play</span></span></div><br/>The day finally came. Clad in a flowing blue dress studded with all-too-real illusory jewelry, Kleris looked the stunning part of the princess Morid.<br/><br/><em>The Saga of Morid.</em>The play was engrained into Kleris' memory after weeks of study: a tale of how a princess fell in love with a minotaur soldier, Tallik. In anger her father condemned the monstrous lover to a maze, but when war came the king realized his folly and encouraged Morid to find a way through by going to many lands on the quest to the remote maze.<br/><br/>The assembled student orchestra was in full force, an arrangement of instruments acting in unison to weave a dramatic song. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owL5NjgldNo) The auditorium was no longer a mere stage; Thamaunt transmuters combined with Ignes illusionists managed to construct a convincing ship platform out into the center.<em>Gusts of Wind</em>simulated the ocean breeze, with disguised raven familiars bearing white feathers flew about, mimicing the caws of seagulls. Dressed in sailor's clothes Lillin played the role of Nalsa, Kleris/Morid's second-in-command and captain of the ship.<br/><br/><em>No need for a Perform check yet. Just roll with it and role-play!</em>