<div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote"><a href="https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=205751.msg10190718#msg10190718">Quote from: Chloe Milev on 30-06-2014, 03:51:42</a></div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">"Oh, I didn't know you were from a different plane too.  I guess you had to get used to our material plane on your first visit.  You can help us figure out this whole ley line thing then!  Do we all get superpowers now?" he teased Arturon.<br/>"I don't know what you do at a planer party, but I'm in if Edgar is," he winked at the bird.  "Do you have any Allain party games, Arturon?"</blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br/>"Sometimes to blow off steam we buy some lab-grown phosphorescent crabs and turn them a different color with a cantrip, mix them up, and try to guess which one's the original.  I think we can achieve the same effect with some marbles..."<br/><br/><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">Arturon looked unusually nervous and upset by the visiting Primarch, and it looked like it was more important that they followed his advice than Kleris let him maintain his own authority.  Still, he was subtle, letting Arturon be in charge while persuading the students of the wisdom of following his orders.<br/>"Hey, I want to have a free night party too, but I have no idea how dangerous this city is, or this Primarch guy.  He's the ruler of the only city to survive a magic civil war involving aberrant god... things, and we probably don't want to be noticed right under his nose.  I'm sure we'll have another chance, but right now, I think Arturon's right and we should break it up."</blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br/>Kleris had gained enough goodwill among the student body (both male and female) to get others to listen to him.<br/><br/>"Okay," Andrei said, sounding downcast.  "Andarlin probably plans to keep us safe, but we should at least be attendant in case he tours past here."<br/><br/>"Okay, then how about we reschedule things?" Elmira asked.  "For tomorrow?"<br/><br/>The suggestion of a future party, and Kleris' words, were enough to nullify any bad blood dealt to Arturon.<br/><br/>"Thank you, Kleris," the prefect said at a later time.  "It really means a lot to me that you did this.  As an Allainian wizard, there is enormous pressure in how one conducts themselves to their peers superiors.  A wild party on the day of arrival could reflect badly not just on me, but Redhurst as well in the eyes of visiting Allainians."<br/><br/>"Don't worry," Edgar said.  "We're already hard at work planning for an even better future party."<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Relationship</div><div class="spoiler_body">Gain <strong>Relationship Level 2 out of 10</strong> with Arturon.  Gain 150 experience points.</div></div><br/><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote"><div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;">Kleris, Rensha, and Zull's Dorm</span></div><br/>Kleris was surprised to see Zull bring a boy in, even more so when they immediately stripped and got to business.  Was Travis a boyfriend, or a casual fling?  He hadn't heard her talk about him; he'd have to ask later.  He just lay silently with Rensha, as aware of her close heavy presence as he was the squeaking bed, groans of pleasure, and slapping of flesh.  As she held Kleris tighter, he couldn't help get aroused by the tight, nervous cuddle as their friend had passionate sex just inches above.  When they finally seemed to fall asleep, Kleris held on to Rensha for a few minutes before silently rolling out and peeking on them, and giving the orc the all-clear to silently sneak out of the room, putting one of Zull's socks on the door.</blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br/>Even though now wasn't the most opportune time, Rensha couldn't help but bask in the moment of hugging Kleris.  She imagined themselves switching places with Zull and Travis, them being the ones making love up top.  But once the wild sex stopped and the pair emerged from under the bed, those thoughts ended and were replaced by a desire to yell at Zull.  Thankfully Rensha had enough self-control to hold in her outburst until she and Kleris were out of shouting distance.<br/><br/>"Aaahhh!!!  They did that...in my bed!  Why couldn't she use hers?!  And I hope that this is the one, and only, time it happens!  Come on, I need to work off this anger."<br/><br/>Rensha took Kleris to the Dueling Chamber in Hentru's resort and set up a bunch of practice dummies to knock over.  Instead of deploying ranged magic, she enchanted her sword with<em>shocking grasp</em>and cut the figures into so much splinters.  A circle of broken bodies surrounding the perspiring, sword-wielding robed orc gave quite an intimidating image.<br/><br/>"Huff, puff, ah!  I feel a lot better now."  The smile came back to her face as though the previous minutes never happened.  "I don't know where I'd be if this school forced us to study night and day!  I can't imagine how my peers in other academies fare, cramped over books into the wee hours.  Come on, Kleris, let's take a shower together.  I want to go to my next class clean and rejuvenated."<br/><br/><div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;">Girls' Locker Room</span></div><br/>The room was a lot less occupied for showering purposes, given that the more physically-oriented classes would come later today.  Still, Kleris was greeted with the lovely sight of nude and near-nude girls.<br/><br/>Today he learned that Asma indeed had tattoos everywhere; as her delectable back was turned towards him, he could see runes traced down from her neck to her ass to her legs.<br/><br/>"You like?" she asked, mistaking Kleris' glances of lust with admiration.  "It certainly beats lugging a spellbook around everywhere you go."<br/><br/>Rensha, who was more aware of Kleris' love for girls, decided to undress and make a move.  Once he was walking over towards one of the shower stalls, she rushed up in front of him and slowed her pace, her swaying hips making her hypnotic green ass sashay back and forth before she got into a stall.<br/><br/><em>I hope she noticed,</em>Rensha thought.<br/><br/>"I'm kind of over what Zull did," she said from an adjacent stall, "but we<em>should</em>teach her a lesson for getting my bed all messy.  Perhaps we can make it seem like a<em>real mess</em>happened in her bunk: underwear, empty beer bottles and torn, smudged pages from erotic novels.  Nothing actually dirty-dirty, though.  We don't want to be mean."<br/><br/>There was a bit of silence.  "You know, maybe that's not the best plan.  I know that we all have private affairs, sex included, but we're all sharing a room, and what we do can affect the other.  I'm more than a little guilty too.  When you first caught me, I was admiring Zull's clothes.  They're so colorful, all made of silk, I even fantasized about trying them on.  That probably wasn't very good of me, then, to be angry at her for using my bed."<br/><br/>Rensha turned off the faucet and dried herself off with a pink towel at her locker.<br/><br/>"Kleris, will you help me approach Zull later?  Not today, maybe tomorrow.  It's better that we talked about these things in the open rather than letting it simmer.  You two are the greatest pals a girl could ask for away from home, and I want to make this work."<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Relationships and Experience</div><div class="spoiler_body">Gain <strong>Relationship Level 4 out of 10</strong> with Rensha.  Gain 150 experience points.</div></div><br/><br/><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote"><div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;">Day 32, Introduction to Charms</span></div>Kleris leaned over to Artaxes making a silent "rawr" with his hand in a claw.  "I guess class is over.  I'll have to practice that spell more, I'm usually better with enchantments.  I think the key lines have me off my game."<br/></blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br/>"Hey, traveling to new places is a big experience when you've never done it before," Artaxes said.  "When I first came to Tolkur I was overwhelmed by all the tall, close-together buildings and streets of cobblestone.  I don't know what you know of centaurs, but most of us spend our lives in small mobile settlements.  I'm the only one in my clan to have even visited a settlement of more than a few thousand people."<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">What Kleris knows about Centaurs, Knowledge Nature</div><div class="spoiler_body">DC 10: Centaurs are beings with the lower body of the horse and the upper body of a humanoid.  They are semi-nomadic, preferring to spend time on the move from one place during the change of seasons.<br/><br/>DC 15: Centaurs are rather isolationist, and even the most progressive among them prefer only to deal with elves and fey.  Centaurs are also sexually attracted to humans, elves, and other entities who share a similar "upper half" to them.  Scholars speculate that this may be due to a shared ancestry between the races.<br/><br/>DC 20: History of territorial disputes and resistance to settlers "claiming" centaur land for themselves resulted in a deep distrust between centaurs and many other races.  Due to this, centaurs who opt to live among outsiders face the threat of exile among more traditional clans, making the decision to leave a heavy one.  Centaurs also aren't known for their study of the arcane arts.<br/><br/>DC 25:  Kleris recalls hearing about the Alpholians, a centaur clan who held an historical alliance with an elven nation.  Although they retained many of their traditional customs, the elves taught them much in the arts of arcane magic, and the Alpholians have been known to send their number "into the world" to expand their magical knowledge.<br/><br/>Artaxes will be very impressed if Kleris brings any discovered facts up.  "Heh, I'm glad to see a human who's well-versed of my people.  Most of them know little to nothing about us."<br/><br/>If asked how he came to be a wizard, he'll say "my clan lived near an elven community.  I interacted with a few of their wizards, watching a few of their castings, and in time grew to love wizardry.  I wanted to be like them, and my family supported my desire to take this path.  I even fashioned my own spellbook by hand!"  Artaxes' spellbook is a patchwork assortment of bound papers and notes, more of a ringed binder than an actual book.<br/><br/>If asked about centaur sexual attraction, he just shrugs.  "I'm sure there's a reason for it, but whatever it is, we just <em>are.</em>  Maybe it's due to our close proximity with elves, or for the same reasons humans and elves can find each other attractive despite body differences.  All I know is that there's something...mesmerizing about the lower halves of two-legged folk."<br/><br/>If asked about the Alpholians, Artaxes shakes his head.  "I'm afraid I'm not one of them.  I belong to the Creesh clan, who also shared positive relations with elves.  However, we kept to ourselves, interacting mostly for trade and mutual defense.  Wizardry is not feared, but it's not a common path, either."</div></div><br/><br/>"I'm also a first year at Redhurst.  If you're having trouble with your enchantments, we could form a study circle, help each other overcome our respective weaknesses.  Or maybe you just want to hang out?  Us Nammorites should stick together."  He stretches and folds his hands behind his head, allowing Kleris to admire his abs and other features.<br/><br/><br/><div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;">Day 33, Field Trip!</span></div><br/><br/>When Kleris and an assortment of Redhurst students heard the question "Anybody up for a field trip?"  Headmaster Andarlin did not need to hear their answers of "yes!" to see the beaming energy in their eyes.  The opportunity to explore a whole new world beyond the school gates was enough of an excuse to abandon the class schedule for the day.<br/><br/>"Today we'll be visiting the city of Bemmea, capital of Allain," Andarlin said.  "Access is by invitation only, although First Primarch Arisad generously arranged for us to tour his city and gain a greater understanding and appreciation of our host country."<br/><br/>"Yo're too kind, Headmaster," Arisad said.<br/><br/>"Due to Bemmea's location on an island of granite," Andarlin continued, "space is at a premium.  I, and several other teachers, are in charge of overseeing our own groups of students, who in turn are linked via a four-person buddy system.  Take these bands, each of them are attuned to the welfare and direction of your companions.  This way it will be easy for us all to keep track of each other."<br/><br/>Kleris was part of the group headed by Arisad ("a great honor," as he informed them), and his three buddies were Arturon (and Edgar), Carson, and Lillin."  Carson shrugged when informed of his duties with Kleris.  "Whatever."<br/><br/><br/><br/>(http://i.imgur.com/ko5dQli.png)<br/><br/>(http://i.imgur.com/I7J2SkI.png)<br/><br/>The journey to Bemmea seemed impossible, for there were no boats in sight of either shoreline.  But a giant archway of stone rose from the sea in a crest of water.  As they passed the bridge Kleris could see the roofs of sunken ruins beneath the waves, along with the tops of several tower ruins still in use and linked by newer bridges.  The front gates opened up immediately into a winding street, which climbed ever upward around a vertical city tailor-made for mages.  Academies, laboratories, bookshops, and open-air spell component stalls dominated the buildings.  There were no armed patrols of guards or militias like in other cities, and the air hung thick with the scent of ozone.  The occasional markings of glyphs and runes carved into the city's foundations glowed with energy, the most visible outward sign of magic they encountered so far.<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Read Magic</div><div class="spoiler_body">These glyphs appear dedicated to the direction and flow of magical energies.  As Kleris traverses more and more of the city, he realizes that these glyphs comprise an expansive network of combined spells and wards.</div></div><br/>"Although there are many villages and towns home to people with no magical talent, in Bemmea the mages are the majority," Arisad said.  "Our economy and community pursue one purpose above all: the expansion and maintenance of magic.  Training and tutelage takes many forms, from single-student master-apprentice relationships to entire colleges not unlike your own Redhurst.  We aren't gifted with anywhere near as much space as your own, even with the benefit of extradimensional spells."<br/><br/>"In comparison to Redhurst, how would you say Bemmea's teaching methods differ, First Primarch?" Carson asked.<br/><br/>"I can't really say," Arisad replied, "for each school has its own way of doing things.  However, there are some generalizations which can be applied.  For one, training usually begins at the ages of 12 or fourteen, and apprenticeship can last for up to a decade.  We are less free-wheeling in our teaching than Redhurst, both due to the power of the ley lines and our fear of magic's unrestrained potential.  Most spells are learned in quiet libraries under the oversight of senior mages alert for mishap, and actual casting of magic by students is<em>always</em>done in a controlled environment."<br/><br/>While enlightening the Redhurst tourists on the ways of Bemmean schooling, they passed by an old man directing about lifelike paper constructs, to the wonder of teenage onlookers no doubt his pupils.<br/><br/>"There are exceptions, of course."<br/><br/>Eventually they came to a large campus on a green field.<br/><br/>"This is the Academic Arcana, our most prestigious magic academy in all of Allain.  They're expecting an arrival of Redhurst students, and are particularly interested in new visitors from another plane."<br/><br/>"Oh, and one more important detail: we aren't accepting of all forms of magic.  Necromancy which violates the free will of a soul, and magic which can manipulate ink writings, are forbidden.  Those who practice them are exempt from the protection of the laws of Allain.  Hopefully none of you possess such knowledge in your spellbooks."  Arisad laughed, the humor in the situation seemingly obvious only to him.<br/><br/>"Until then, why don't you take the opportunity to explore a little.  If you need me, I should be engaged in conversation with one of your teachers or those of the Academic Arcana."<br/><br/>Bidding them farewell, Arisad left Kleris and his partners to their own devices.<br/><br/>Lillin clutched Kleris' arm.  "Look!" she said, pointing to a nearby group of students, then another.  What she saw was obvious: there was a sizable percentage of tieflings in the Academic's student body.  About 1 in 10 by Kleris' estimates.<br/><br/>"There's so many tieflings here!" she squealed.  "I wonder, maybe we have a community here in Bemmea or Allain!  Ooooh this is so exciting!"<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Knowledge Arcana, History, or Local DC 15</div><div class="spoiler_body">Tieflings are traditionally without a society, born to human parents.  This means that most of them adopt the cultural norms and values of their homelands.  Maybe Allain is different, whether due to an extensive history of infernal unions, or maybe it's a haven of sorts for tieflings...</div></div><br/>"Allain, and the old magocracies, were known for extensive pacts and unions with devils," Arturon said.  "Tieflings are so numerous here, and such a part of our history, that they don't really encounter any significant discrimination unlike in other lands."<br/><br/>This last sentence nearly causing Lillin to fall down.  "Are you serious?  Am I dreaming?  This can't be real.  I just thought that Arisad..."<br/><br/>"Oh, it's real alright," Edgar said, "and it's<em>First Primarch Arisad."</em><br/><br/>Carson harrumphed.  "Their fear of power has been taken too far.  How can they expect to learn under such restrictive conditions?"<br/><br/>Arturon turned to Carson, an intensity in his eyes not usually seen on him.  "You wouldn't say that if you ventured out into the wastes, and saw what lies just beyond our borders.  Don't chastise us over things that your people never endured."<br/><br/>Carson's unmoving face indicated that his mind was not changed, but he eventually turned away.<br/><br/>"So, what should we do?" Lillin asked.  "It looks like it's break time right now.  Let's introduce ourselves!"<br/><br/>They all received warm welcomes from the Academic students, who were very interested in hearing about the newcomers, where they were from, and what kind of classes were taught at Redhurst.  Many of them were in the same general age range as their Redhurst counterparts, although they were less racially diverse.  The overwhelming majority were humans, and of those most of them appeared to be of one ethnicity (pale, hair ranging from black to blonde), and the aforementioned tieflings, and the rare gnome or minotaur.  However, there were no elves to be found in sight, a rather odd absence for a magic school.<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Sense Motive DC 10</div><div class="spoiler_body">Kleris notices that the elven Redhurst students are given a wide berth by the Academics, and the elven students in kind picked up on this and seem more eager to leave.<br/><br/>If asked, Arturon says that relations with the neighboring elven nation of Arbonnesse has been poor for centuries.  "Even though most Arbonnesse are now humans with elven ancestry, the magocracies of old fought against them once the Great Mage Wars got really bad.  Even today the border is still tightly patrolled.  Don't worry, teachers of both schools are fully aware that they're just visitors, and overt hostility between students is traditionally discouraged."<br/><br/>"You said 'overt,'" Lillin said.<br/><br/>"Yes, secret duels and pranks are par for the course than fist-fights and flinging spells openly."</div></div><br/><br/>The Academic's interior was like a twisted version of Redhurst.  The hallways were narrower and rarely straight, its statues and paintings bearing menacing visages of wizards deformed and warped in their proportions.  Fingers with one too many joints, differently-sized eyes, the odd trace of a tentacled hand or patch of scaled skin were present not just in the artwork, but could be glanced on the occasional passing teacher.  The younger-looking ones were more or less closest to their original race; the elder wizards, sorcerers, and other arcanists wore thick dark robes obscuring most of their features.<br/><br/><br/>"Arturon, you return."<br/><br/>Four students emerged from behind the group.  Two boys and two girls, a tiefling among each, stood with arms folded and frowning faces.<br/><br/>"Yes," Arturon answered.  "I can tell that you've been expecting my arrival, Nelsa."<br/><br/>"Oh I did alright," the human girl said, "but I'm not interested in catching up on the good ol' days.  Things must be<em>really swell</em>at Redhurst for you."<br/><br/>"Fuck off, Nelsa," Edgard said.  "We're not in the mood for your bullshit."<br/><br/>Nelsa's three companions stepped out so that they covered the hallway and were within arm's reach of Carson and Lillin.<br/><br/>"I don't recall speaking to a familiar.  Anyway, I don't really care anymore if it's going to get me trouble, I'm never again going to have a chance to humiliate you if I pass this opportunity up."<br/><br/>Carson's hands wandered to his spell component pouch.  He looked over to Kleris and Lillin, nodding his head and then looking at Nelsa's lackeys.<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Sense Motive DC 10</div><div class="spoiler_body">Carson wants you to take out the student right in front of him so that he has more space to cast a spell at the other one.<br/><br/>Nelsa doesn't have murder in her eyes, but you can taste the hatred even from behind Arturon.  She probably intends to use magic to alter or mark him in some way.</div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Detect Expertise</div><div class="spoiler_body">Carson has no specialized school.  Arturon's an Abjurer.  Lillin's a Universalist.  Nelsa's an Evoker, and her friends are all Transmuters.</div></div><br/><em>Roll for initiative.</em><br/>