<div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: andale mono;">Day 119, Ram's Head Inn</span></span></div><br/>“There has been a certain amount of bad and good luck all around.  I promise, I don’t want to gamble with that, poking my nose where it doesn’t belong, I really am just trying to keep up with classes.  On the other hand, when I discover things about my father and what he was investigating, well, I just have to find some clues about where he is.  I understand that you’re needed here, and I wouldn’t want you to upend your own life just to try to keep me out of trouble.  That’s what the school is here for, and my friends too—they watch out to keep me safe, not to push me into these weird situations.  I’ll make sure I’m not doing anything stupid, and if there’s a real problem, I’ll tell the adults about it and not try to solve everything myself, okay?”<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 120, Introduction of Ceremonies</span></span></div><br/>While Sharn had built up a metropolis of skyscrapers so thick one had trouble seeing the ground or sky, it appeared Wayreth was a bit more in tune with its rural setting, learning to work within and among the foliage instead of building over every piece of it.  It would be nice to take a walk outside besides Redhurt’s lake and the tiny “forest” by the stables, where one cold probably count all the trees.  Being welcomed by a half-eaten feast was a strange reception, however.  With a gaggle of young magic users breaking out their divination everywhere, Kleris shrugged and joined in seeing if he could detect any magic.  Of course it wasn’t that simple, careful illusions might hide from divination, and if the party had simply teleported away, there wouldn’t be anyone there to detect.  Carson’s moan at least let Kleris know this was probably some silly hazing prank, so he could simply be surprised and clap along with the other amused Redhurst students.<br/><br/>“Does he do this kind of thing often, then?” Kleris murmured sideways to Carson.  One the headmasters had exchanged introductions, the formalities broke down for students eager to mingle and meet new folk besides the ones they’d lived with day and night for months.  In his short uniform skirt and outfit, Kleris found himself chatted up by several Wayreth students eager to talk his ear off and give him a tour.  He managed to stay with the party in general though, occasionally excusing himself to join Zullinat, Rensha, and Lillin to overhear their conversations or to anchor himself to the group.<br/><br/>Krynn sounded like it had an intense history, with deific battles over the very nature of magic, and the remaining wizards maintaining a delicate balance of survival vs ideology.  Kleris shared his own experiences and knowledge of how magic worked, at least in practical terms; all the worlds he’d been at had some sort of gods, at least an idea of them existing, and so clerics and druids were able to access divine magic much like wizards, if from a different practice of faith.  There were even sorcerers who had an innate understanding of magic, often from a biological connection to more supernatural creatures, and while they could learn about using magic and other skills from Redhurst, their abilities were not fully a matter of study and formula.<br/><br/>As he mingled around, Kleris did notice Carson eating alone, which seemed to make sense, as he had mentioned rough times from his home world, and now Kleris had some more perspectives on just how difficult it could be with wars and politics and even internal schisms.  “Sure, everyone seems pretty cordial for a welcome party at least.  I just wanted to see how it was for you coming back.  I’ll see you—well, later,” Kleris shrugged as Carson suddenly left, narrowly avoiding a hobgoblin.  That was interesting, and perhaps a chance to get a different perspective on Carson’s background too.<br/><br/>Approaching the hobgoblin girl, Kleris introduced himself, noting how everyone has been welcoming at their first meeting, and how has it been for her meeting the Redhurst students?  “I just know we’ll have a great collaboration between schools, it’s always great to meet new people and get along.  Anyone in Redhurst catch your eye?”  Unfortunately, Kleris was so intrigued by digging into this relationship that his greeting wasn’t as genuine and open as it otherwise might have been, despite his otherwise his otherwise passive aura of affable charm.<br/><br/>[Kleris turns on the friendliness and charm, Diplomacy 1+18 = 19]<br/><br/><div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: andale mono;">The Arcane Detective</span></span></div><br/>The lesson on diving was interesting as a philosophical argument when two objects could be identical but for different methods, and that difference had a practical effect on what magic would work on it.  Apparently once a thinking being exerted influence on something, it became a construct, more or less, even though natural forces and chance could create similar results.  The boundaries blurring between the two was personified in Professor Saflora of Wayreth, who had both a prosthetic arm and living eyepatch.  A prosthesis was obviously constructed, and while animate, would probably not be considered living or natural.  The flower, like Utari mused, was a different question.  Like the arrangement of leaves becoming an artist’s construct, it could be an “object” once a mind forced a purpose on it, though it was also still alive and could be like a separate symbiont creature.  The loud interruption of their study was startling, though Saflora was gracious enough to indulge their curiosity.<br/><br/>The practical lab was a good opportunity to apply what they’d learned, and it was tricky to determine what might be considered a constructed object.  Regular geometry was a giveaway; the border between nature and artifice could blend though.  Objects could be shaped with organic inspiration, and sometimes the right piece of natural material is found in an unexpectedly useful shape.  Was a leaf-cup a delicate facsimile of nature?  Was a rough wooden bowl just a piece of tree that could fulfill a purpose?  When careful examination for tooling couldn’t determine the answer, more testing and manufacturing lore was needed.  Kleris’ art and artifice classes at Redhurst helped greatly, giving him exposure to the possibilities of magical crafting, and the diverse styles and methods of different races and traditions.