Vorstallen Magic Preparatory - The Third-Best School for Young Mages in the Nation! Enrol Today!

To be honest, I should've just made the various options Actions to take later over choices now - it felt a little clumsy, so in future I'll just assign these sorts of things (hiding the items, selling them, etc) as future possible Actions.

---

"Alright. Abraham, with us. Sleep in our room."

Madavian looked over at Ulos. He was sort of in charge of this, after all. What were they doing from that point forward?

"So, look. Here's the deal. Madavian, you're probably fine, right? I mean, Thomas isn't going to screw with you too badly."

"Sure. I mean, unless he can really get away with it."

"But me and Abraham, well... I think we're more vulnerable. We need to hunker down, figure out what to do next. If we send Abraham somewhere else, who knows what Thomas might do, right?"

"Ok. What about the stuff?"

"We find a hiding spot. I've looked around the grounds a bit, we can find a place. None of it is that big. If Thomas has the teachers come knocking, we never saw his stuff. We get his books, return them to the Library. I figure that wins us four Textbook Chits, so Abraham can go get his Textbooks back. I'll keep the other one for now - I think they're more likely to target Abraham if they need to steal something. We keep the coins here, locked in your chest. You okay with that?"

Madavian shrugged.

"Sure, it's not like they're going to suspect me of stealing my money. Why would I bother?"

"Good. Good. Alright, here's my thought. We move in twos where we can, especially after class when Thomas might decide to do something. Go down to dinner in twos, third person guards the room. Same in the morning - we stick together as much as possible, and try and make ourselves as vulnerable as little as possible. It won't dissuade him in the long-term, but it'll make getting at us harder."

Madavian looked at Ulos strangely.

"You spend much time thinking about this, Ulos?"

"I'm from the Empire, Madavian. This was how I thought every day before I came here. Don't get robbed, don't get beaten, don't get killed. It worked for me there, and the same principles should work here. You two in?"

Abraham shrugged, still looking a little dizzy at the entire turn of events.

"Sure. Can't hurt."

Madavian laughed, but the sound was a little pained.

"Fantastic. One week into school and I'm living like a flit from the Empire. What's next, we start our own street gang and rob people for their valuables? Oh wait, we already did that."

Ulos shook his head.

"Don't worry. You two are my friends. I meant what I said. He won't get to you, not through me. We'll force him to give up, or if we won't give up... well, we'll find a way to make him stop permanently. Now, I think we need to figure out our timetables for the week. Abraham, by the by, do you mind running down to somewhere I saw on campus a few weeks back? I know a place near another hidden area that would make a great hiding spot."

(Hidden Roll for Hiding Space: ???. Rolls for items to be stolen must overcome ??? DC)

Crisis resolved. Next turn vote is open.

---

You presently have 5 Willpower. Note that this pool will need to last you for both these weekdays and the weekend.


Temporary/One-Off Actions:


[ ] Learn about Laila - She really doesn't like you. It might help to learn more about her, especially while people don't know her well enough to tell her you're making enquiries. Roll Cha vs DC (Medium) to learn about Laila. Offers no Skill bonuses, but may help on future rolls versus her. Willpower upgrade - spent 1 point to gain a reroll if failed. Willpower must be spent regardless of whether original roll passes. If reroll is failed as well, your lack of subtlety in making your enquiries means word gets back to Laila. Disappears if not taken this week.

[ ] Learn About Thomas - Yeah, wow. You've got a powerful, angry enemy. You're gonna want to learn everything you can about him. Roll Cha vs DC (Low) to learn about Thomas. A basic success will offer a class list and a rough family outline. Each 20 points over DC will offer more information. Willpower upgrade - roll 2D100 instead of 1D100 for results. As people find out that you're enemies, gathering information will get harder. Action power downgraded if not taken this week.

[ ] Appraise your Artifact - Sure, you can't do it, but you can find someone who can. Knowing what that Artifact does might be key to either keeping it or selling it for a good sum. Roll Cha vs DC (Moderate). Success offers information about Artifact. Failure offers no information. Critical failure offers completely false information. Roll will be hidden. Action is removed once either a success is rolled or a critical failure is rolled.

[ ] Find Abraham Somewhere to Live - Opens up Housing options. You might find a decent single room in the Dorms, or maybe you'll discover a third-year Imperial student looking for a roommate/gopher. Maybe you'll find a secret cave Abraham can crash in on campus. You don't know exactly what you'll do with him yet, but you need to do something. Roll vs DC (Trivial). Basic success offers basic housing options. Each 20 points over DC will offer more information. Willpower upgrade. Gain +20 to roll. Can only be taken once.

Permanent Actions:

[ ] Start Studying (Write-In Subject) - You have your textbooks. Next step is reading through them. Sort of nerdy, but hey, aren't you here to learn? Gain a Training Roll associated with the subject you choose. Willpower upgrade - spend 1 point to gain 2 Training Rolls. -1 to all Training Rolls of this sort due current roommate penalty.

[ ] Live Defensively - Vary when you go places, and when you leave. Figure out what sort of defensive mechanisms your room has, and see if Madavian can bribe some of your roommates to tell you if Thomas or other Narubites enter the Parrot's Perch. Kind of frustrating and time-consuming, but should help stop any attacks Thomas might put together. Thomas gets -20 to all Rolls against you, Madavian, and Abraham this week.

[ ] Scout out the Library - Go figure out where the books that might help with your Curse are. I mean, they're almost certainly in the Restricted Sections, but if you can get a good idea of how the Library works and what sort of filing system it uses, you might be able to track down the knowledge a bit easier. No stat improvements. May gain a better idea of what books are helpful for your subjects, and which sorts of books might help with your curse. Gain +78 from prior failed roll to next roll. (DC: 80).

[ ] Go to the Marketplace - You have money to spend and items to sell. You need to spend some time gearing up, finding tutors, spells, artifacts, items, and more. Activates Shopping Mini-Turn with more Actions within it (including "Find a Buyer" for your items), allowing the buying and selling of items and services.

[ ] Go Exploring - It's a big campus, and you haven't seen the half of it. Who knows what you could find? Roll 1D100 vs ???. Success offers ???, failure offers ???.

[ ] Meet and Greet - Madavian might not be there to help you, but you can still meet people, right? Right? Offers 2 Diplomacy rolls for meeting people. No help from Madavian. (DC: Variable. Depends on who you meet) Willpower upgrade - spend 1 point to gain 3 Diplomacy Rolls.

[ ] Hang Out With A Friend (Write-in Friend) - It's good to spend time with people you know. Maybe take a break, and hang with one of your friends. Available options include Madavian Junotrin and Abraham Quincey. Increase Relationship by one step. Roll against DC (Variable, depending on friendship level). On success, increase Relationship by another step.

[ ] Study Group - The Study Group needs to get going if you're going to dominate your subjects. Get your books, get your bag, and head on over to the Library to get the librarians to let you into a study room. Gain a Training Roll for Lore: History or Lore: Theory of Magic (50% chance each). Possibly gain a step in relationship with Abraham (20+30=50% chance). Cannot be taken while Trait: Banned Doppelganger is active. Willpower upgrade - spend 1 point to gain a Training Roll in both subjects. Can only be taken twice per Week max.

[ ] Gather Mushrooms - Unlocked by your knowledge of the Secret Mushroom Colony. Self-explanatory. Roll against DC ??? using either Lore: Alchemy or Lore: Magical Plants. On success, gain ???.

[ ] Search for Ingredients - You don't know about a whole lot of Alchemical Ingredients, but you can go looking. Even if you don't find exactly what you're looking for, you can scout out good places. Roll against DC ???. On success, find Ingredients. On critical success find a Location with Ingredients.

[ ] Map out the Dorms - Knowing who is where, asking your friends about who has which room and how to get to places quickly. Sort of creepy, but also might come in handy. No skill gains. Roll against DC 65, on success gain Item: Map of Dorms (Unfinished). +10 bonus to pranks and similar actions taken within the Dorms.

[ ] Relax, Chill Out - You've worked hard enough. Why not kick back, have a nap and look out the window at the other students and the trees? Recovers 1 Willpower point.

[ ] Practice Spellweaving - Use some of your little magic to practice your Spellweaving. Gain a Training Roll vs Channeling. Cannot use Willpower upgrade, Channeling too low.

Locked Actions:

[ ] Tutor Madavian (Magical Theory) - Madavian needs tutoring. He's falling behind already! Roll against DC ??? (depends on Madavian) vs Lore: Magical Theory. Success increases Madavian's grasp on Magical Theory and Relationship by one step. Locked. Requires Madavian to ask, or you to offer.

[ ] Suck Up To Your Teacher (Write-In) - Figure out what they like. Do the research. Then suck up. Not hard in theory. Roll against DC ??? (depends on teacher) vs Cha. Success increases teacher's Relationship by one step. Locked. Requires Ulos to know his teachers better.

[ ] Craft Alchemical Recipe (Write-In) - Time to get your Alchemy on! Get in there and make something useful! Roll against DC ??? (depends on Recipe). Success adds Recipe to Inventory. Locked. Requires at least 1 rank in Craft: Alchemy. Requires access to Alchemical Equipment.

[ ] Practice Spell (Write-In) - Time to practice a spell. Get better, cast faster, cast cheaper. Roll against DC (??? depends on Spell). Takes ??? Magic Pool, where ??? depends on spell. Character gains an additional Training roll if they still have more mana after practicing. Willpower upgrade - spend 1 point to gain an additional two Training Rolls if you have enough mana for it. Locked. Requires a spell Ulos can practice.



Feel free to vote for as many options as you like. I strongly prefer people being able to vote for more options as it lessens strategic voting and allows people to vote their true preferences.

Monday. Class came first. Inukar was up front at the board, sketching another set of equations up there. Ulos sighed. Magical Theory was fascinating, but it wasn't exactly fun. If he hadn't been able to focus despite the encounter with Thomas, it would've gone over his head despite his general intelligence. More geometry. A second week of geometry! Inukar had told them they would be able to deconstruct reality itself, more-or-less, and then had proceeded to teach them elementary geometry proofs half the time, followed by more complex geometry proofs, in order to 'properly understand the true nature of a Sigil or a Rune'. Not that Ulos didn't appreciate it, of course. Geometry was interesting, it just didn't help him against Thomas if something happened.

Still, keep his head down and try and study. He still couldn't quite believe he'd done what he'd done, but still...

(Training Roll: 4x4 = 16. Current: +11 Lore: Magical Theory (13/20 next level))

No, better to focus on this. It'd pay off eventually.

Later on, it came time to find out about Thomas.

(Roll 16+15 (Willpower) + 10 Cha = 41 vs 20 DC. Decent success. Learn a little more than the bare basics.)

"Yeah, the Senator's kid?"

The upperclassman looked at him thoughtfully.

"I can tell you a few things, but why should I?"

"I figure you're smart enough to know being owed a favour, even a little one is worth something, right? Who knows when you might need a bit of information from me?"

The upperclassman smiled.

"Sure. Well..."

A little while later he'd found out a few things. Thomas was a Senator's son, and the only child at that. He was known for his weak magical skills, which made people wonder why he'd bothered going to a magical academy. Usually that was the province for the magically strong only in Narubar, especially as mages were forbidden from holding official positions there.

He was taking Alchemy and Runic Theory. Ulos smiled. Losing that knife would set him back, and his own measuring equipment as well.. it wouldn't have been everything the other boy owned, but setting him back in his class would give him some time to plan.

---

Tuesday:

"Today, class, we're going to talk to Spirits. Not in the sense you're thinking, but in the sense you are thinking."

Ulos shook his head. What?

"Now, this Spirit in the room is a notable sweetheart, as I've told you before. He actually responds to thoughts, and no, not thoughts about thoughts. Rather, thoughts that aren't about thoughts but are, if that's clear."

Mage Miranova chuckled.

"Don't worry, it's not a philosophy puzzle. It's more twisted than that. If you can figure it out, though, you'll be a significant advantage. Now, let's talk about Binding Spirits. Why would we bind Spirits?"

The question was rhetorical, or at least the class sat silently.

"Spirits want to take a Form, but there are many Forms that they, shall we say, wouldn't mind taking. You can't make a Spirit take a Form completely at odds with its desires, but you can fiddle around the edges a bit. Making an Agreement with a Spirit is simple. You talk to them, help bring them into the world, and they do what they do. Sometimes you can ask them to alter their Form a bit if you satisfy them in certain esoteric ways, but that can be difficult and take a long time."

The old woman smiled, and leaned back for a moment.

"Thirty years ago, I was excavating in the Saint's Abyss, down where the water stops and the air starts again. Lots of magical Artifacts down there, then. Still are, though most of them are behind deadly traps or puzzle Spirits that only now-dead Undying know how to unlock. When you go far enough down, you find some marvellous things. Admittedly, one of the things we didn't find that was marvellous was a team of artifact hunters from Narubar."

Laila spoke up.

"Senior Mage, I'm sure that they were not permitted by the government to do that."

Miranova shrugged.

"Maybe, maybe not. Not as though it really mattered. Now, Narubar has some crack combat mages, and I'm an old lady. Even then I felt old, though that could've just been because I was hungry that day and my leg had been snapped nearly clean in half by an animated statue."

She chuckled.

"So my three friends had me levitated, running through the passageways with our haul, combat mages right on our tail. We were in no shape to stop them, even at full strength, and we were mostly spent. So I talked to a Spirit in the place, a Spirit of rock. It wanted to be freshly-made rock, the sort that's only a few thousand years out of the volcano. This is pretty close to lava, conceptually."

Miranova smiled, though Ulos felt it was far less comforting that it had been last week.

"So I Bound the Spirit, and made it belch out a great stream of lava. Those poor boys from Narubar put up shields, but once you're covered in superheated lava it gets really hard to maintain all your shields. The ones against heat only work if something's not touching your skin, the ones against kinetic energy don't stop the slow stuff, they just reduce the speed of fast and deadly things. Of course, you can shield against lava if you know how, but it's a little esoteric for most, so they don't bother learning."

She looked directly at Laila when she spoke, which must have been unnerving.

"Never saw them again, though I daresay that they made lovely statues."

(Training Roll: 2x4 = 8, Current = +10 Lore: Souls and Spirits (8/20 next level))

Ulos sat there, thinking. Thinking about thinking. No, it wasn't that. It was thoughts about thoughts. Not about the concept of thinking, but rather thoughts about the thoughts of others. He wondered what Laila was thinking. No, rather, how she thought. What happened in her mind? What happened when Laila thought? Did her feet tap when she tried to work through a difficult concept? Did she grapple with concepts in a conceptual room, or did she

That alone wasn't enough, though. He directed the thought to the Spirit of the room.

Is that enough?

Suddenly, in glorious blues and reds, the room came to life, suffused by the colours of the rainbow and one that defied description, his mind unable to process it whenever he looked away. It was unlike the others entirely, but unless he looked at it directly it simply became a dull red, or an angry yellow in his memory. Yet he remembered that this was not correct.

(Roll: 70 + 10 (Lore: Souls and Spirits) + 10 (Cha) = 90 vs DC 90. Bare success).

He gawped, and looked around. In the light of the room, he could suddenly see that the moss that they sat on glowed, and glowed more strongly where he sat.

Miranova looked across at him, and winked.

"Good job, by the way. All of you, but the one student who actually puzzled it out, well. It's certainly not the earliest anyone has in their schooling, but you're the first in your class, and that's no mean feat."

(Miranova has taken notice of you. Opens Miranova Diplomatic Actions, Gained Relationship: Educator (Taken Notice).)

---

Later that afternoon, he returned to the Library. This time, he felt, to understand it for good.

(Scout out the Library: 44 + 78 = 122 vs DC 80. Excellent success. For each +20 DC over success, find a useful book this week to borrow.)

Ulos will now borrow books automatically depending on the thread's direction. These will give him bonuses to his learning on occasion, or may teach him useful Recipes, Runes, or Spells that he does not already possess. At present his focus is on Magical Theory and Souls and Spirits. These books will not be recorded in the Inventory, as he will be returning and borrowing books as suits his needs.

Of course. Of course! The third system just meant that all the interesting Souls books were going to be in the northwest corner because the third Head Librarian put them there. Why would you bother recategorizing the least interesting books? The best way to get people to use your category system in your library war would be to ensure that the best books were in your system, and presumably people would follow suit.

---

Wednesday:

"Welcome. Today we will be continuing the Basic Thirteen, and learning a spell as well. To do this, we must first learn to access the Primordial Ether. Some of you already know. This has deliberately not been taught to you, for the simple reason that miscast spells can be dangerous. Repeat that after me."

"Miscast spells can be dangerous.", the class chanted.

"Louder. I didn't believe you."

"Miscast spells can be dangerous!", they chanted again.

"This lesson is not as much for you as it is for the idiots with more power than sense. You all can barely light candles, some of your classmates will be able to engulf entire ships in an inferno with a wave of their hand. Still. A spell has no safety measures. A spell does exactly what you tell it. If you tell it to do the incorrect thing, due to your poor spellcraft, it will do that. I do not know how to emphasise this enough."

He sighed.

"The only time you are to practice casting a spell quickly is if it is a safe spell. Spells that cannot harm you permanently if you fail at casting them. Once you reach your second year we will teach quick casting of dangerous spells, but it is something that if done poorly can and will kill or cripple you."

"Imagine, you sketch the sigil for an inferno, to consume those around you, though not touch you, just so."

Weres sketched a sigil in the air.

"Now, let's say you sketch the line for interior space wrong, maybe a little lopsided. Instead of starting the flames ten feet away from you, they start one-tenth of a foot from you."

The sigil glowed, and Weres burst into flame, fire eating at him, wreathing around his clothes and his hair. His hair smoked, and little patches of his clothing were burning.

Ulos drew in breath, shocked.

A moment later, the flame died down, though the smoke remained.

"Thankfully, as an intelligent mage, I was maintaining a thermal shield permanently in all of my classes, knowing the ineptitude and depths of failure of the average spellcaster and realising myself to be one. I did not die."

He drew another sigil, and the smoke disappeared.

"So, when you draw on the Ether, realise the danger. It will obey you, but exactly. If you are inexact, or you fail to think about the consequences of your spell in reality, you will die. Now."

Weres sat down.

"This is simple, and I prefer to do it myself. Look at me."

Ulos looked.

"Now look up."

He looked up.

"And down, back to me."

He looked down.

"Now up."

He looked up.

"Now look at me. Look at me, and look through my eyes."

As Ulos looked back down, he felt himself jerked through Weres's body, settling in behind his eyes for a moment. The colours he had seen earlier reappeared, glowing across the room, emanating from where the sigil had once been.

Suddenly, he was himself again.

"There. Awakened. Your average school prefers a few weeks of meditation and other mumbo-jumbo because that's the way their granddaddies did it. Sensing the light at the core of the world yet beyond the world, or some idiocy like that. We don't do it that way here at Vorstal. You Awaken quickly, and spend all that time meditating learning spells. Better this way."

Weres chuckled.

"Not that one mage in a thousand could do that without giving you a headache for weeks. You won't even get one, by the way. Thank those tuition solidus."

"Now, here's the spell. Burst of Light. Simple, easy to modify. A big shiny burst of light, aimed generally away from you. Weak enough that most don't shield against it, but it can fuck with someone's eyes. You need to escape? Throw a big burst of light at them, and while they're half-blinded run away. It's a good tactic, and one any mage should learn."

"It'll take three of the Basic Thirteen only. I'll sketch in the air. Start practicing."

(Training Roll: 5x2 (Training Room allows use of Phys instead of Channeling) = 10. Gained 2 Spellweaving. Current state +3 Spellweaving (3/5 next level)

(Maximum Training Roll means automatic pass on Spell Learning Roll!)

A few tries in, Ulos actually had it down pretty well.

"Good job. Ulos, was it? Now, feel that big pile of angry light in the back of your mind. It'll be roiling there from now on, always at the edge of your attention. Pick some of it up, and make another symbol. Throw it in there."

Ulos sketched the symbol in the air, and felt the light pour into his mind. His soul? Something. He felt the moment of transition where the feeling in the back of his skull became light in the air, and he poured it into the symbol. Light flashed in the air, blinding him and others for a second.

(Learned Spell: Blinding Light. DC 10 + (Variable) vs Variable Dice. Casting allows caster to create a burst of light in the air, blinding opponents temporarily - and themselves if they're unlucky.)

"This is the weak version, by the by. I'll teach you how to modify it for strength later on, but better this way for practice. Good work, Ulos. See me after class."

They continued practicing, little more happening. At the end, he stayed so Weres could talk to him.

"Hey. Heads-up. When I Awakened you, I felt more power in your mind. Usually that means you've got some untapped reserves. Rare, maybe one in a hundred mages has them. It's hard to say how much is there, but some of that meditation mumbo-jumbo could actually help you. It'd take months of concentrated effort, but you could awaken to more power if you put the effort in.

"Um, I'll think about. Are there any books you can recommend?"

"Yeah, get Morris's Light of the Ether, talks a lot about how human capacity for magic can be weird. Vareesh's Six Hundred Meditations on The Soul is pretty basic, but usually necessary to really feel around your own magic and get a good sense for it. Not usually necessary for people, but might come in handy for you."

(Unlocked Action: Study your Magic Pool.)

---

That evening was the first time he'd seen Sunette. He was polite, though spent most of his time on Magical Theory. He'd had a chance to read through his first few interesting snippets on Theory, and he thought he'd learned a lot.

(Training Roll: 5+1 (from new Magical Theory Book) x4 = 24. Gained +1 Magical Theory. Current +12 Lore: Magical Theory (17/20 next level))

When they studied, he learned more, delving deeper into the theory he'd explored that week.

They talked about history, and Abraham seemed a little relaxed. By that point they were less studying, and more chatting, so he didn't pick up much.

(Training Roll: 1x4 = 4. Gained +0 History. Current +8 Lore: Magical Theory (5/10 next level))

(Relationship Roll with Abraham: 21 + 30 (Trait) = 51 vs DC 80. No change)

(Relationship Roll with Sunette locked due to Trait.)

"Thank you, Sunette."

"Call me Su."

Ulos felt conflicted.

"Sunette for now, I think."

---

Thursday was uneventful. History so far had been a dull recitation of facts, much his displeasure, and today seemed no different. They were simply learning bits and pieces of it, and nothing so far had caught his eye in class.

(Training Roll: 4x4 = 16. Gained +2 Lore: History. Current = +10 Lore: History (1/20 next level))

After class, though, he went to learn about Laila.

At first, he learned nothing. Nobody really seemed to want to talk about her. Until... he saw her rounding the corner. He ducked away suddenly, and he heard he talking to someone.

(Reroll: 89 + 10 (Cha) = 99 vs 50 DC. Excellent success!)

"...yeah, I know. I know I need to get good marks, trust me. I'm not going to let Narubar down.

"You'd better not. Help me out, not the Empire."

The other voice sounded familiar. It was Thomas! Ulos made himself flat against the wall, but thankfully Thomas didn't come around the corner towards him.

"That jerk. Oh, look at me, I'm a Senator's son. I'm rich. I hate the Empire. I hate the Empire too! They killed my parents. He... he just hates them because he's mad they beat him up. It's not the same. He didn't even hate that big guy, I think, just needed a target. Well... better him than me, I guess. If he decided to get me kicked out..."

She suddenly breathed quickly.

"Souls, Theory, Practice, and Magical Inheritance. Lemme think... yeah, it'll have to be Theory. Theory's the only one I have with all of them."

She sighed, and suddenly swore.

"Just because I'm an orphan I'm suddenly not good enough and have to do his dirty work? I'll show him. I'll show the Empire, too. I'll be the best mage this school ever turned out, and I'll go back and I'll..."

She cut off, and walked away.

Ulos felt a little dirty, but he'd learned some useful things. Her classes, her relationship with Thomas. Even that something was happening in Theory, and probably to him. Well, maybe not, but paranoia had kept him alive in the Empire, and it wasn't a habit he intended to abandon now.

(Gained Foreknowledge. + 10 versus next Thomas Action!)

---

Friday:

"So, yeah, just be careful in our test, ok? I heard Laila say she had to do something, but I don't know what."

They settled in to do the test.

(Ulos Test Results: 12 (Lore) - 1 + 3 = 14/15 (Extraordinary Success!). Abraham Test Results: 6 (Lore) - 3 + 2 = 5/15 (Bare Pass). Madavian Test Results: 2 (Lore) - 3 + 2 = 1.(Embarrassing Fail))

(Lore Rival Test Results: 10 (Lore) - 3 + 2 = 9/15. (Solid Success! Ulos has garnered the highest test result!)

(Thomas Roll 26 vs Ulos Roll 33 = 23 + 10 (Foreknowledge). Failed!)

(Thomas Roll 95 vs Abraham Roll 17 = 7 + 10 (Foreknowledge) Critical success!)

(Thomas Roll 97 vs 34 = 24 + 10 (Foreknowledge). Excellent success!)

Ulos found it easy, and went through the test rapidly. Looking over it, he was fairly certain nothing was wrong. Two-thirds of the questions hadn't even been covered in class, though he didn't think any of them were particularly hard.

Looking over, he saw Laila creeping around. He gestured to the other two to watch out. As they watched, his inkpot began to tremble. He grabbed it immediately, and held it down, it wobbling in his hand.

He looked over at Madavian and Abraham, just in time for their inkpots to flip over completely, covering their tests in ink.

They raised their hands and asked for another copy, but there was hardly time to redo it. Zero marks on that test. Frustrating, but he knew Madavian and Abraham probably weren't aiming for the top half of Theory anyway, so perhaps not the greatest loss. Still, that spell... he knew Thomas would try and strike again. Ink over paper wasn't much, but he bet Thomas was aiming to destroy his test most of all.

Not that they counted for anything in the end, but... there was probably something. Oh well. Ulos felt he had done well.

It was later that night that another student came down at dinner, with a fashionable pink stripe in her hair. Was it fashionable, Ulos thought? Or was it something the Junotrins in school might have been taking on?

She handed him a note.

"For you."

"Ulos Flitter. See me in my office, 10 AM tomorrow. Need to talk about your test."
- Senior Mage Inukar.

Well. That was certainly something.

Ulos ate, and then went back to the room, Abraham lying on the floor. Time to plan out his weekend.

You presently have 2 Willpower. This pool will regenerate after this turn.

As per usual, Ulos will take 4 Actions. These can come from any sort of Action, I've just sorted them into groups to make figuring out what's going on easier.


Temporary/One-Off Actions:

[ ] Meet Inukar - One-off action you can only do this weekend. Take it or lose it. If you go... well, who knows what Inukar wants? Refusing might have bad effects as well, though. Meet Inukar. ??? effect. Negative effect on Relationship if you refuse. Action is removed if not taken.

[ ] Appraise your Artifact - Sure, you can't do it, but you can find someone who can. Knowing what that Artifact does might be key to either keeping it or selling it for a good sum. Roll Cha vs DC (Moderate). Success offers information about Artifact. Failure offers no information. Critical failure offers completely false information. Roll will be hidden. Action is removed once either a success is rolled or a critical failure is rolled.

[ ] Find Abraham Somewhere to Live - Opens up Housing options. You might find a decent single room in the Dorms, or maybe you'll discover a third-year Imperial student looking for a roommate/gopher. Maybe you'll find a secret cave Abraham can crash in on campus. You don't know exactly what you'll do with him yet, but you need to do something. Roll vs DC (Trivial). Basic success offers basic housing options. Each 20 points over DC will offer more information. Willpower upgrade. Gain +20 to roll. Can only be taken once.

Training Actions:

[ ] Start Studying (Write-In Subject) - You have your textbooks. Next step is reading through them. Sort of nerdy, but hey, aren't you here to learn? Gain a Training Roll associated with the subject you choose. Willpower upgrade - spend 1 point to gain 2 Training Rolls. -1 to all Training Rolls of this sort due current roommate penalty.

[ ] Practice Spellweaving - Use some of your little magic to practice your Spellweaving. Gain a Training Roll vs Channeling. Cannot use Willpower upgrade, Channeling too low.

[ ] Study Group - The Study Group needs to get going if you're going to dominate your subjects. Get your books, get your bag, and head on over to the Library to get the librarians to let you into a study room. Gain a Training Roll for Lore: History or Lore: Theory of Magic (50% chance each). Possibly gain a step in relationship with Abraham (20+30=50% chance). Cannot be taken while Trait: Banned Doppelganger is active. Willpower upgrade - spend 1 point to gain a Training Roll in both subjects. Can only be taken twice per Week max.

[ ] Practice Spell (Write-In From Spellbook) - Time to practice a spell. Get better, cast faster, cast cheaper. Roll against DC (??? depends on Spell). Takes ??? Magic Pool, where ??? is equal to a Spell's cost times 5. Character gains an additional Training roll if they still have more mana after practicing. Willpower upgrade - spend 1 point to gain an additional two Training Rolls if you have enough mana for it.


Diplomacy and Discovery Actions:

[ ] Hang Out With A Friend (Write-in Friend) - It's good to spend time with people you know. Maybe take a break, and hang with one of your friends. Available options include Madavian Junotrin and Abraham Quincey. Increase Relationship by one step. Roll against DC (Variable, depending on friendship level). On success, increase Relationship by another step.

[ ] Meet and Greet - Madavian might not be there to help you, but you can still meet people, right? Right? Offers 2 Diplomacy rolls for meeting people. No help from Madavian. (DC: Variable. Depends on who you meet) Willpower upgrade - spend 1 point to gain 3 Diplomacy Rolls.

[ ] Go Exploring - It's a big campus, and you haven't seen the half of it. Who knows what you could find? Roll 1D100 vs ???. Success offers ???, failure offers ???. Willpower upgrade - spend 1 point to gain a second roll. Spend 2 points to gain a third roll.

[ ] Study your Magic Pool - You need to learn to meditate, focus, and understand what is happening in the Ether, and in yourself when you draw from it. Gaining such inner understanding may shed light on your Curse's functionality. Gain a Training Roll for Skill: Meditation versus Willpower.

Crafting, Gathering & Shopping Actions:

[ ] Gather Mushrooms - Unlocked by your knowledge of the Secret Mushroom Colony. Self-explanatory. Roll against DC ??? using either Lore: Alchemy or Lore: Magical Plants. On success, gain ???.

[ ] Go to the Marketplace - You have money to spend and items to sell. You need to spend some time gearing up, finding tutors, spells, artifacts, items, and more. Activates Shopping Mini-Turn with more Actions within it (including "Find a Buyer" for your items), allowing the buying and selling of items and services.

[ ] Search for Ingredients - You don't know about a whole lot of Alchemical Ingredients, but you can go looking. Even if you don't find exactly what you're looking for, you can scout out good places. Roll against DC ???. On success, find Ingredients. On critical success find a Location with Ingredients.

[ ] Map out the Dorms - Knowing who is where, asking your friends about who has which room and how to get to places quickly. Sort of creepy, but also might come in handy. No skill gains. Roll against DC 65, on success gain Item: Map of Dorms (Unfinished). +10 bonus to pranks and similar actions taken within the Dorms.

Locked Actions:

[ ] Tutor Madavian (Magical Theory) - Madavian needs tutoring. He's falling behind already! Roll against DC ??? (depends on Madavian) vs Lore: Magical Theory. Success increases Madavian's grasp on Magical Theory and Relationship by one step. Locked. Requires Madavian to ask, or you to offer.

[ ] Suck Up To Your Teacher (Write-In) - Figure out what they like. Do the research. Then suck up. Not hard in theory. Roll against DC ??? (depends on teacher) vs Cha. Success increases teacher's Relationship by one step. Locked. Requires Ulos to know his teachers better.

[ ] Craft Alchemical Recipe (Write-In) - Time to get your Alchemy on! Get in there and make something useful! Roll against DC ??? (depends on Recipe). Success adds Recipe to Inventory. Locked. Requires at least 1 rank in Craft: Alchemy. Requires access to Alchemical Equipment.