A Rather Odd Shovel [Judge: Bront]
Rae ArdGaoth
Explorer
The College of Wizardry claims its own section of the bottom of Fallon's crater. The base area of the college being relatively small, the wizards have instead built upwards, with incredible towers shooting up into the Bridge City of the elves and even above the edges of the crater itself, the shiny tower parapets peeking out of the massive hole.
The college's main entrance is extravagant, consisting of a well kept, perpetually new road leading up to the largest, central tower. It is there that visitors are generally directed, and it is there that the group goes now.
Upon entering the central tower, you see a large chamber with massive columns and flying buttresses. Men and women in wizard robes mill about, some hurriedly, others chatting. Comfy couches, long and short tables, resting and working places of all kinds fill the room, most of which are unoccupied. Many hallways leave the massive chamber, some leading to rows of doors, others leading to only one door.
You are greeted by a smiling man in a green robe with a simple, "Welcome to the College of Wizardry. If there's anything I can assist you with, please do not hesitate to ask."
---
Glancing at the book, you are presented with nothing but a seemingly random assortment of letters assembled into "words" (really just series of characters separated by nonsense) from the Common alphabet, no punctuation. There are no illustrations whatsoever, and no obvious ordering of the characters. Some characters are written diagonally in the corners, some upside down, some pages are crammed full of letters, others have only two or three "words".
The college's main entrance is extravagant, consisting of a well kept, perpetually new road leading up to the largest, central tower. It is there that visitors are generally directed, and it is there that the group goes now.
Upon entering the central tower, you see a large chamber with massive columns and flying buttresses. Men and women in wizard robes mill about, some hurriedly, others chatting. Comfy couches, long and short tables, resting and working places of all kinds fill the room, most of which are unoccupied. Many hallways leave the massive chamber, some leading to rows of doors, others leading to only one door.
You are greeted by a smiling man in a green robe with a simple, "Welcome to the College of Wizardry. If there's anything I can assist you with, please do not hesitate to ask."
---
Glancing at the book, you are presented with nothing but a seemingly random assortment of letters assembled into "words" (really just series of characters separated by nonsense) from the Common alphabet, no punctuation. There are no illustrations whatsoever, and no obvious ordering of the characters. Some characters are written diagonally in the corners, some upside down, some pages are crammed full of letters, others have only two or three "words".
Trouvere
Explorer
"Buttresses! I was right! I wonder whether there are domes too," says Keldar obscurely.
"Ah, hello!" he greets the green-robed man. "Keldar, Keldar Warbray. Yes, the Keldar Warbray."
Keldar flings himself down in an unoccupied couch. "We just thought we'd pay this famous institution of learning a visit while we're here in Fallon. Are you a wizard? Are all these people wizards? Atomerasu here is a wizard too. Guess where he learned his smattering of spells!"
"Ah, hello!" he greets the green-robed man. "Keldar, Keldar Warbray. Yes, the Keldar Warbray."
Keldar flings himself down in an unoccupied couch. "We just thought we'd pay this famous institution of learning a visit while we're here in Fallon. Are you a wizard? Are all these people wizards? Atomerasu here is a wizard too. Guess where he learned his smattering of spells!"
Rae ArdGaoth
Explorer
The man smiles awkwardly and looks at Tommy, as though he expects him to speak up. When he doesn't, he laughs and says, "I am indeed a wizard. And most of these people are, yes. Ah, where did you learn your spells, sir? And can I help you all find anything?"
covaithe
Explorer
Tommy belatedly glances up from the encoded book, which he has been muttering over all the way to the college. "Why yes, uh, pleased to meet you. I'm Tommy Worthallingham. I graduated from the Academy of the Chromatic Order," he lifts his cloak aside for a moment to show the silver lining. "I wish I could say that I'm travelling here solely for the pleasure of seeing your famous library, but I'm afraid we do have some unpleasant business that must be seen to first, involving a series of burglaries. Nothing to do with your fine establishment, of course; it's just that we need some information, and so we've come to see the, uh, most knowledgeable people around. May we see the library, please?"
Tommy is slightly stiff. He has heard of the sense of envy and inferiority that the Fallonese wizards are reputed to feel towards the obviously superior Chromatic Order, and while he is determined to be polite, he feels a certain obligation to make a good show for his old school, too.
Tommy is slightly stiff. He has heard of the sense of envy and inferiority that the Fallonese wizards are reputed to feel towards the obviously superior Chromatic Order, and while he is determined to be polite, he feels a certain obligation to make a good show for his old school, too.
Trouvere
Explorer
"Yes, we'd certainly like to have a poke around the shelves, if at all possible," says Keldar, shifting in his seat to draw his own cloak more tightly around himself.
"So nearly all of you are wizards! Splendid! I'm more what you'd call a dabbler in the magical arts. Do you offer tours of the School to those who live nearby, interested parties, potential students? Show them what goes on? A few lectures on topics of the day, little demonstrations of spellcasting, get the children thinking they might like to pursue this sort of study? Keepsake bags for everyone afterwards?"
"So nearly all of you are wizards! Splendid! I'm more what you'd call a dabbler in the magical arts. Do you offer tours of the School to those who live nearby, interested parties, potential students? Show them what goes on? A few lectures on topics of the day, little demonstrations of spellcasting, get the children thinking they might like to pursue this sort of study? Keepsake bags for everyone afterwards?"
Rae ArdGaoth
Explorer
The smile on the man in the green robe smile falters for just a split second when Tommy mentions where he studied magic. Then, as quickly as it vanished, it returns, full force, almost uncomfortably so. "An Academian! Delightful! Most delightful!" The man is a tiny bit louder than before, and a few heads turn at his exclamation of the word "Academian", most of the expressions look bemused, some of them haughty or annoyed.
Maintaining his forceful smile, the man now looks Keldar up and down. "A bit old to be starting training, I think, but the College occasionally allows shadowing for prospective students. Only the most general classes, of course. And as for, ah, goody bags, we don't hand any out, no. There are, of course, a number of places to obtain magical wares of all sorts. For a price."
"But the Library! Yes, it's open to the public, with some restrictions. No bags, no weapons, and an escort at all times. Maintaining the volumes is no small task, so we request a small donation of one silver Shield per hour spent perusing the library. Your escort would be a trained librarian, and would thus be able to help you find whatever you needed. I can take you there now, if you like?" He coughs and looks around, the assorted heads have turned back to their previous tasks.
The man guides you outside to a different building, this one with a rather rectangular base, out of which a cylindrical spire like the others protrudes. Fluted columns and a grand staircase mark the front entrance to the Library.
Once inside, the green robed man bids you goodbye and a Library escort takes his place. "The procedures have been explained to you, yes? Are they acceptable? I will need your weapons and bags before we enter."
Maintaining his forceful smile, the man now looks Keldar up and down. "A bit old to be starting training, I think, but the College occasionally allows shadowing for prospective students. Only the most general classes, of course. And as for, ah, goody bags, we don't hand any out, no. There are, of course, a number of places to obtain magical wares of all sorts. For a price."
"But the Library! Yes, it's open to the public, with some restrictions. No bags, no weapons, and an escort at all times. Maintaining the volumes is no small task, so we request a small donation of one silver Shield per hour spent perusing the library. Your escort would be a trained librarian, and would thus be able to help you find whatever you needed. I can take you there now, if you like?" He coughs and looks around, the assorted heads have turned back to their previous tasks.
The man guides you outside to a different building, this one with a rather rectangular base, out of which a cylindrical spire like the others protrudes. Fluted columns and a grand staircase mark the front entrance to the Library.
Once inside, the green robed man bids you goodbye and a Library escort takes his place. "The procedures have been explained to you, yes? Are they acceptable? I will need your weapons and bags before we enter."
Trouvere
Explorer
"Not at all a problem," says Keldar cheerfully, "though of course, we will require a receipt for the items we hand over. Tommy, if you'd pass the gentleman a sheet of parchment? Now then, I'm scarcely armed at all. Hardly seems worth it. Now, let's see - do take hold of these as I go, sir."
Keldar hands over the elven rapier first. "Careful with this one. Magical. Cursed with a dying curse, for all I know." He follows up with its mate, the fine short sword, and then his own rapier.
Keldar reaches into his magical quiver and pulls out his splendid longbow. "Careful with this, please. Would you like the arrows too? Well, while you decide that, let's see, here's one, two, three, four, five javelins, and a quarterstaff." He produces the items one by one and variously places them in the escort's grasp or leans them against his shoulders. "I'll just hang this whip around your neck. Hold still. Here we go."
He swings his pack from his back and bends down to inspect it. "Nothing much in here, I think. It's all back on the ship. I daresay you'd rather not have lamp oil among the books and scrolls, though."
"And, last but not least, my six trusty daggers. There you are. And now I'm as harmless as the day I was born."
Keldar hands over the elven rapier first. "Careful with this one. Magical. Cursed with a dying curse, for all I know." He follows up with its mate, the fine short sword, and then his own rapier.
Keldar reaches into his magical quiver and pulls out his splendid longbow. "Careful with this, please. Would you like the arrows too? Well, while you decide that, let's see, here's one, two, three, four, five javelins, and a quarterstaff." He produces the items one by one and variously places them in the escort's grasp or leans them against his shoulders. "I'll just hang this whip around your neck. Hold still. Here we go."
He swings his pack from his back and bends down to inspect it. "Nothing much in here, I think. It's all back on the ship. I daresay you'd rather not have lamp oil among the books and scrolls, though."
"And, last but not least, my six trusty daggers. There you are. And now I'm as harmless as the day I was born."
covaithe
Explorer
"Where were you keeping all those, Keldar?" Tommy asks, sounding impressed. "On second thought, don't tell me. It would probably keep me from sleeping enough at night to be able to prepare spells. Here you go, sir..."
Tommy hands over his crossbow, dagger, backpack, and spell component pouch. He hangs on to his spellbook.
Tommy hands over his crossbow, dagger, backpack, and spell component pouch. He hangs on to his spellbook.
