The Wizard's Tower
Birdsie
Sharp Talons Cleave The Worthy
- Location
- Poland
The Wizard's Tower
A floor-shaking thunderclap announced their arrival, alongside a brilliant flash of white light, as Solomon and Penelope stood within the Tower's atrium.
The Surveyors had scattered over its stone-tiled halls, as well as the nearby side chambers, examining the environment and furniture, searching for potentially useful artifacts, conversing about their findings. It seemed, for all intents and purposes, a relaxing social endeavor. Heads turned at their reappearance, although no one approached yet, except the slightly confused and worried Vice Captain, stepping up to speak with them both. His face showed unease, fractionally decreasing as he observed their state.
"You're back," said Harrison, then narrowed an eye. "Is that a...?"
"An otherworlder," said Solomon, carrying the unconscious warrior - Abraham - in a fireman's lift, having dosed him with a potent mixture of propofol and isoflurane, apparently sufficient to maintain unconsciousness, at least until a superior method was found.
With a moment's focus, Solomon bid the earth to rise, a current of soft loam flowing between shattered floor tiles and settling into a slab, then solidifying into a structure reminiscent of granite. He rested the comatose man on it. "We'll have to contain him. That can wait until I've moved my Sanctum here."
"You're moving out of our room, then?" asked Harrison, curious and accepting rather than disappointed. It was understandable and mutual. They'd not especially interacted as roommates, outside of the usual activities and bland conversation every morning and evening, not having much in common with each other.
After all, ultimately, this sort of move into a private living space had been Solomon's intention to start with - rooming with Harrison was always a means to an end, even if that came out sounding as overly utilitarian.
"Yeah."
"I need a breather," said Penelope, bone-weary, struggling bodily against fatigue. Like an array of blades moved into a sheath, her corona of wings folded back, disappearing within moments, leaving only the smooth surface of her armored uniform. She took a moment to stretch, voice husky as she informed, "I'll find a corner somewhere and sit down. Holler if you need me." She looked about ready to depart when Harrison asked yet another question, with a raised eyebrow - as if utterly befuddled by something.
"Did you fight something?"
Although innocent and merely inquisitive, Solomon could see - almost literally, by tracing the emotional slump via Connections - as the inquiry caused something brittle and tensed within Penelope to snap, its effect compounded by tiredness.
She addressed Harrison with a slight glare, eyes radiant with divine fury, voice clipped and full of mordant scorn, "Yes. As a matter of fact, we did, Harrison. And you really, really should've helped, instead of standing around and not listening to a word either of us was saying."
He raised both hands as if suddenly fired upon by a rifleman he'd believed an ally. Incredulous and alarmed. "Holy crap, okay. Sorry, I didn't know."
"Didn't know? Well, I know you're a-"
"Penny," cut in Solomon, knowing exactly how the conversation was plotted to develop if not interrupted. "Can we talk for a sec?"
As much as Solomon harvested a kind of sick, diabolical satisfaction from seeing an innocent - that wasn't himself for once - fall victim to Architectural vicissitudes, experiencing the same, soul-draining issue that he'd dealt with alone for his entire life, he didn't believe that Harrison deserved a verbal lashing. And he could predict that without intervention, it'd only spoil the mood, worsen Penelope and Harrison's relationship, and generally degrade everything about the Club.
After moving aside, to a corner of the central atrium - behind a column of dark brown stone - he explained patiently, "You're yelling at a wall."
"Yeah, I noticed," she said, with blithe sardonicism, fists twitching violently. Then, controlling herself, she breathed out and unclenched them both, and offered Solomon an apologetic look. "How come they're like this? How come no one..."
"Notices?" After a heartbeat, she nodded hesitantly, and Solomon offered his best consolatory smile. "Yeah, welcome to my life, Penny. Everyone forgets everything I say, or at least stuff that isn't trivial. Outside of a certain, circumscribed role of being a boring loser, I'm not allowed to matter or do anything. Like a ghost. And if they don't forget, that's because they weren't even listening to start with, or don't want to believe a word I say. I don't know why you're... unaffected." He'd almost said 'special.'
She considered, although it only occupied a moment. "Could it have to do with my Truthseeker Aspect?"
"Maybe," he said, neither all that keen on agreeing nor on disagreeing. He'd not even bothered forming a theory, as Solomon was confident the Educator would have an answer either way, and it'd most likely be something beyond either of their expectations. "I don't know. Whatever I have, it's not related to Enrollment or Thematics."
"You're sure about that." It was sounded out as a statement, rather than a straightforward question - becoming a more veiled question in the process.
"Mr. Ed said it himself," he answered, shrugging in equanimous acceptance. "It's what I've been studying during my remedial lessons."
"God, that thing? I thought that was about you..." she trailed off, connecting the dots in her mind, and her eyes descended. Concluding the cogitation within a moment, she arched both brows. "Oh. Now I get it."
"You do?"
"Yeah," she said, with a slight, barely perceptible nod. "It's how you knew the Educator would Enroll us, isn't it? And everything else..."
It was his turn to raise an eyebrow. "Damn, you remember that?"
"Yes." Then, dangerously, her eyes stared into his own. "Did you know about the Engine ahead of time?"
"No," he answered swiftly, eyes widening a millimeter at the flash of aggression on her face. "Or at least, none of the specifics. I only had a vague hunch that something terrible was going to happen on that day. And given how usually no one believes me..."
"You didn't warn anyone," she finished the statement, sounding a little brusque. Then, she looked down and started thinking intently about something else, pausing the conversation. His stomach sank, almost pushed out of his bootsoles, as a nervous knot replaced all other feelings.
"Alright," she eventually said, nodding. "Fair enough."
A tremendous relief overcame him, unflappable placidity engaged once more. Noticeable enough he pondered why he cared so much about her opinion. It took him a second to puzzle out, but he supposed that it was because she was a natural ally - someone who both understood and could share in his misery, lightening the load.
He ventured, "You're not mad at me?"
"No?" She sounded confused about his reasoning. Ending her contemplation, she looked into his eyes once more, seemingly baffled by his question. "Why? You're doing your best in an unreasonable world."
His stomach sank a little more. Guilt came into him at once, returning from the cavernous depth into which it'd receded over the last couple months, flooding and mind-consuming. She'd said that with full and earnest belief in him as an actor - believing in Solomon, in Solomon's resolve and benevolence as a human being - even though he'd not actually done anything even resembling his best. He'd given up on doing that long ago. He remembered the Engine searing Judas, the entire incident, his stray and distant thought of maybe being able to help out, and then sloth and simple indifference overcoming that angel of instinct. Drowning it ruthlessly, like a river-tossed kitten in a sack.
"Yeah," he said, a touch somber, "Yeah, anyway... don't be mad at them. However the Architecture works - that's what the Educator calls it - it doesn't let them think on their own, at least not when it comes to what I say. It's not their fault, I'm like... like an error in the world."
Her expression softened at that word, sympathetic and concerned at the same time. "God, that's fucked up," she whispered. I'm so sorry."
He didn't have an answer to that.
"I'll do what I can to help you out," she said, considering options already, judging by the look on her face. "If you ever need to talk about it, or really anything else, I'm open to it. Given that I still remember the conversations we've had, whatever's happened to let me resist this... 'Architecture,' must still be in effect."
He nodded, feeling relieved and grateful. And guilty, still, about her earlier words. "Thanks."
"I really need a moment to rest my eyes, though," she answered, walking over to an ancient chair set on the side of the atrium. "You guys carry on with the exploration. If Harrison gets on your nerves, you know where to find me."
He nodded, even though he already knew that wouldn't be the case. "I'll talk to you later then. But if you want to rest, maybe you should return to the Academy?"
She stopped, considering his words - and he could see, after their conversation, she was truly considering them. A part of Solomon considered whether or not the awareness of his straits might not cause her to overcorrect. Instead, she shook her head. "No, even with Harrison's aid, it'd take a little too long, especially if I needed to return all of a sudden. I want to stay around in case something explodes, or there's some other monster you need help with. I could hardly leave you alone with half a class on your hands. Besides, I'll be fine to fight and do other things in an hour or less. It's not that bad."
He nodded once again. "Alright. Rest well."
He left, considering the contents of their conversation with a heavy heart.
---
Right now, you're chewing on industrial-grade guilt. Hopefully, you can make something out of it.
After a brief exploration, you've isolated several areas of especial interest within the Tower. Your access is limited: many doors are magically barred, and it'll take considerable effort for even you to unseal the fullness of individual Floors -
The Basement (10th sub-Floor, danger) - The location of your fight with Abraham, currently marked with Penelope's Sanctum although with the Edict removed so as to not further tire her out. Dangerous and full of strangely un-Thematic eldritch monsters, as well as a couple more Thematic and powerful beasts, such as the Liminal Ox.
The Atrium (1st Floor, full access) - An expansive atrium, filled with nonmagical if beautifully ornamental antiques, has a long scarlet-red carpet with golden filigree running through the middle. Brown and earthy aesthetic. Natural light in the form of perpetually lit braziers.
The Door Corridor (4th Floor, limited access) - An incredibly long corridor that seems to grow longer the more you walk down the northern direction, walls fashioned out of bronze plates studded at each of the corners, already overgrown with verdigris, lit by ceiling lamps reminiscent of modern fluorescent tubes. Walking down the southern direction always takes the same amount of time. At both sides of the corridor are magically sealed and chained iron gates, which reveal behind them their own corridors, each one containing seemingly endless doors in unique designs. Scrying past the doors appears impossible.
The Naval Chamber (5th Floor) - Occupies the center of the 5th Floor, with hallways around it and multiple doors for entry. It's sea-themed, with the entry doors leading into the empty air above a giant body of water that occupies more volume than the Tower's external appearance suggests it should be able to hold. Divinatory scans appear to suggest the depth of the chamber is close to endless, and it has many forms of aquatic flora and fauna beneath the waters.
The Death Room (6th Floor) - On the sixth Floor, a metal door with a skull and crossbones on it can be opened by tapping it thrice. Within is a dark chamber, overflowing with ominous ambiance that causes all observers to feel instinctive dread. An experiment was conducted with a plant - placed within the doorframe, it withered in a record time of three minutes and forty seconds. Divinations struggle to penetrate the room and see what's in the dark.
The Calming Room (6th Floor) - A room with conceptual stilling and calming properties. People within feel at peace and move slower; even spells are slowed down, as are the effects of chemicals and human metabolism. Effect appears indifferent to length of stay; doesn't intensify over time. After conducting experiments to ensure safety, Abraham was stored within alongside an IV drip of sedatives and a small coterie of summoned Marids to keep watch and alert you if something changes.
The Grand Library (8th Floor, highly limited access) - A library with shelves as large and tall as skyscrapers, potentially even larger and taller deeper within, and aisles between them as wide as streets and boulevards. Locked away behind a heavily enchanted golden gate, requiring a key. Everything within is immune to any form of precise divination because of the gate's magic. Illumination provided by small, floating will-o'-wisps in a rainbow of colors, as well as soft omnipresent amber radiance.
The Storage Room (8th Floor, highly limited access) - Exactly opposite the Grand Library, has almost identical characteristics in every way, except the shelves appear to hold magical items, the gate is made of dark iron, and instead of will-o'-wisps, the streets are patrolled by armored knight-like constructs holding lanterns and swords or spears.
The Study (9th Floor, highly limited access) - All parameters as per Storage Room or Grand Library, except the gate is made of a clear, white, silverish or platinum-like metal. Little can be seen of the room within, except bookshelves, a scribe's desk, a number of looming vertical windows, and blue-tallowed candles.
The Workshop (9th Floor, theorized) - A secondary gate within the Study leads to what's been dubbed the Workshop. Has a ritual circle surrounded on every side by pillars. On the extremely far side, Penelope could only barely observe what she said resembled alchemical equipment with her enhanced eyesight.
The Astral Laboratory (10th Floor, limited access) - Orrery chamber. A room surrounded by a strange frame-like scaffolding of brass and gold, with a glowing orb descending into the middle, resembling an orrery. The ceiling, wall, and floor are dark and covered with small glowing lights that resemble known constellations. In the middle, someone has left a number of half-scrawled diagrams and celestial charts.
There are many other chambers on each Floor, although these are the most interesting ones, as well as ones that are likely to be of immediate use and to which you have some measure of access.
It seems not everything can be opened with magic. The Gates you've encountered appear to be tied to Keys, whose location you cannot divine - breaking the enchantments totally would be a titanic effort, requiring incredible investment on your part. Your classmates have some use here. Where do you focus your efforts?
[ ] Gradual Clear - First, open the easiest and simplest locks, and lift the most rudimentary enchantments, starting from easiest and ascending in difficulty. Aside from serving as decent practice, it opens the widest space to exploration in the meantime for the rest of your classmates.
[ ] Focused Clear - Focus on a particular Floor or chamber. Which one? (Write-in)
[ ] Focused Clear (Force) [-30 Will] - Focused Clear, increased odds / measure of success. (Write-in)
---
Will: 80
Credit: 2.1
XP: 1,800
A floor-shaking thunderclap announced their arrival, alongside a brilliant flash of white light, as Solomon and Penelope stood within the Tower's atrium.
The Surveyors had scattered over its stone-tiled halls, as well as the nearby side chambers, examining the environment and furniture, searching for potentially useful artifacts, conversing about their findings. It seemed, for all intents and purposes, a relaxing social endeavor. Heads turned at their reappearance, although no one approached yet, except the slightly confused and worried Vice Captain, stepping up to speak with them both. His face showed unease, fractionally decreasing as he observed their state.
"You're back," said Harrison, then narrowed an eye. "Is that a...?"
"An otherworlder," said Solomon, carrying the unconscious warrior - Abraham - in a fireman's lift, having dosed him with a potent mixture of propofol and isoflurane, apparently sufficient to maintain unconsciousness, at least until a superior method was found.
With a moment's focus, Solomon bid the earth to rise, a current of soft loam flowing between shattered floor tiles and settling into a slab, then solidifying into a structure reminiscent of granite. He rested the comatose man on it. "We'll have to contain him. That can wait until I've moved my Sanctum here."
"You're moving out of our room, then?" asked Harrison, curious and accepting rather than disappointed. It was understandable and mutual. They'd not especially interacted as roommates, outside of the usual activities and bland conversation every morning and evening, not having much in common with each other.
After all, ultimately, this sort of move into a private living space had been Solomon's intention to start with - rooming with Harrison was always a means to an end, even if that came out sounding as overly utilitarian.
"Yeah."
"I need a breather," said Penelope, bone-weary, struggling bodily against fatigue. Like an array of blades moved into a sheath, her corona of wings folded back, disappearing within moments, leaving only the smooth surface of her armored uniform. She took a moment to stretch, voice husky as she informed, "I'll find a corner somewhere and sit down. Holler if you need me." She looked about ready to depart when Harrison asked yet another question, with a raised eyebrow - as if utterly befuddled by something.
"Did you fight something?"
Although innocent and merely inquisitive, Solomon could see - almost literally, by tracing the emotional slump via Connections - as the inquiry caused something brittle and tensed within Penelope to snap, its effect compounded by tiredness.
She addressed Harrison with a slight glare, eyes radiant with divine fury, voice clipped and full of mordant scorn, "Yes. As a matter of fact, we did, Harrison. And you really, really should've helped, instead of standing around and not listening to a word either of us was saying."
He raised both hands as if suddenly fired upon by a rifleman he'd believed an ally. Incredulous and alarmed. "Holy crap, okay. Sorry, I didn't know."
"Didn't know? Well, I know you're a-"
"Penny," cut in Solomon, knowing exactly how the conversation was plotted to develop if not interrupted. "Can we talk for a sec?"
As much as Solomon harvested a kind of sick, diabolical satisfaction from seeing an innocent - that wasn't himself for once - fall victim to Architectural vicissitudes, experiencing the same, soul-draining issue that he'd dealt with alone for his entire life, he didn't believe that Harrison deserved a verbal lashing. And he could predict that without intervention, it'd only spoil the mood, worsen Penelope and Harrison's relationship, and generally degrade everything about the Club.
After moving aside, to a corner of the central atrium - behind a column of dark brown stone - he explained patiently, "You're yelling at a wall."
"Yeah, I noticed," she said, with blithe sardonicism, fists twitching violently. Then, controlling herself, she breathed out and unclenched them both, and offered Solomon an apologetic look. "How come they're like this? How come no one..."
"Notices?" After a heartbeat, she nodded hesitantly, and Solomon offered his best consolatory smile. "Yeah, welcome to my life, Penny. Everyone forgets everything I say, or at least stuff that isn't trivial. Outside of a certain, circumscribed role of being a boring loser, I'm not allowed to matter or do anything. Like a ghost. And if they don't forget, that's because they weren't even listening to start with, or don't want to believe a word I say. I don't know why you're... unaffected." He'd almost said 'special.'
She considered, although it only occupied a moment. "Could it have to do with my Truthseeker Aspect?"
"Maybe," he said, neither all that keen on agreeing nor on disagreeing. He'd not even bothered forming a theory, as Solomon was confident the Educator would have an answer either way, and it'd most likely be something beyond either of their expectations. "I don't know. Whatever I have, it's not related to Enrollment or Thematics."
"You're sure about that." It was sounded out as a statement, rather than a straightforward question - becoming a more veiled question in the process.
"Mr. Ed said it himself," he answered, shrugging in equanimous acceptance. "It's what I've been studying during my remedial lessons."
"God, that thing? I thought that was about you..." she trailed off, connecting the dots in her mind, and her eyes descended. Concluding the cogitation within a moment, she arched both brows. "Oh. Now I get it."
"You do?"
"Yeah," she said, with a slight, barely perceptible nod. "It's how you knew the Educator would Enroll us, isn't it? And everything else..."
It was his turn to raise an eyebrow. "Damn, you remember that?"
"Yes." Then, dangerously, her eyes stared into his own. "Did you know about the Engine ahead of time?"
"No," he answered swiftly, eyes widening a millimeter at the flash of aggression on her face. "Or at least, none of the specifics. I only had a vague hunch that something terrible was going to happen on that day. And given how usually no one believes me..."
"You didn't warn anyone," she finished the statement, sounding a little brusque. Then, she looked down and started thinking intently about something else, pausing the conversation. His stomach sank, almost pushed out of his bootsoles, as a nervous knot replaced all other feelings.
"Alright," she eventually said, nodding. "Fair enough."
A tremendous relief overcame him, unflappable placidity engaged once more. Noticeable enough he pondered why he cared so much about her opinion. It took him a second to puzzle out, but he supposed that it was because she was a natural ally - someone who both understood and could share in his misery, lightening the load.
He ventured, "You're not mad at me?"
"No?" She sounded confused about his reasoning. Ending her contemplation, she looked into his eyes once more, seemingly baffled by his question. "Why? You're doing your best in an unreasonable world."
His stomach sank a little more. Guilt came into him at once, returning from the cavernous depth into which it'd receded over the last couple months, flooding and mind-consuming. She'd said that with full and earnest belief in him as an actor - believing in Solomon, in Solomon's resolve and benevolence as a human being - even though he'd not actually done anything even resembling his best. He'd given up on doing that long ago. He remembered the Engine searing Judas, the entire incident, his stray and distant thought of maybe being able to help out, and then sloth and simple indifference overcoming that angel of instinct. Drowning it ruthlessly, like a river-tossed kitten in a sack.
"Yeah," he said, a touch somber, "Yeah, anyway... don't be mad at them. However the Architecture works - that's what the Educator calls it - it doesn't let them think on their own, at least not when it comes to what I say. It's not their fault, I'm like... like an error in the world."
Her expression softened at that word, sympathetic and concerned at the same time. "God, that's fucked up," she whispered. I'm so sorry."
He didn't have an answer to that.
"I'll do what I can to help you out," she said, considering options already, judging by the look on her face. "If you ever need to talk about it, or really anything else, I'm open to it. Given that I still remember the conversations we've had, whatever's happened to let me resist this... 'Architecture,' must still be in effect."
He nodded, feeling relieved and grateful. And guilty, still, about her earlier words. "Thanks."
"I really need a moment to rest my eyes, though," she answered, walking over to an ancient chair set on the side of the atrium. "You guys carry on with the exploration. If Harrison gets on your nerves, you know where to find me."
He nodded, even though he already knew that wouldn't be the case. "I'll talk to you later then. But if you want to rest, maybe you should return to the Academy?"
She stopped, considering his words - and he could see, after their conversation, she was truly considering them. A part of Solomon considered whether or not the awareness of his straits might not cause her to overcorrect. Instead, she shook her head. "No, even with Harrison's aid, it'd take a little too long, especially if I needed to return all of a sudden. I want to stay around in case something explodes, or there's some other monster you need help with. I could hardly leave you alone with half a class on your hands. Besides, I'll be fine to fight and do other things in an hour or less. It's not that bad."
He nodded once again. "Alright. Rest well."
He left, considering the contents of their conversation with a heavy heart.
---
Right now, you're chewing on industrial-grade guilt. Hopefully, you can make something out of it.
After a brief exploration, you've isolated several areas of especial interest within the Tower. Your access is limited: many doors are magically barred, and it'll take considerable effort for even you to unseal the fullness of individual Floors -
The Basement (10th sub-Floor, danger) - The location of your fight with Abraham, currently marked with Penelope's Sanctum although with the Edict removed so as to not further tire her out. Dangerous and full of strangely un-Thematic eldritch monsters, as well as a couple more Thematic and powerful beasts, such as the Liminal Ox.
The Atrium (1st Floor, full access) - An expansive atrium, filled with nonmagical if beautifully ornamental antiques, has a long scarlet-red carpet with golden filigree running through the middle. Brown and earthy aesthetic. Natural light in the form of perpetually lit braziers.
The Door Corridor (4th Floor, limited access) - An incredibly long corridor that seems to grow longer the more you walk down the northern direction, walls fashioned out of bronze plates studded at each of the corners, already overgrown with verdigris, lit by ceiling lamps reminiscent of modern fluorescent tubes. Walking down the southern direction always takes the same amount of time. At both sides of the corridor are magically sealed and chained iron gates, which reveal behind them their own corridors, each one containing seemingly endless doors in unique designs. Scrying past the doors appears impossible.
The Naval Chamber (5th Floor) - Occupies the center of the 5th Floor, with hallways around it and multiple doors for entry. It's sea-themed, with the entry doors leading into the empty air above a giant body of water that occupies more volume than the Tower's external appearance suggests it should be able to hold. Divinatory scans appear to suggest the depth of the chamber is close to endless, and it has many forms of aquatic flora and fauna beneath the waters.
The Death Room (6th Floor) - On the sixth Floor, a metal door with a skull and crossbones on it can be opened by tapping it thrice. Within is a dark chamber, overflowing with ominous ambiance that causes all observers to feel instinctive dread. An experiment was conducted with a plant - placed within the doorframe, it withered in a record time of three minutes and forty seconds. Divinations struggle to penetrate the room and see what's in the dark.
The Calming Room (6th Floor) - A room with conceptual stilling and calming properties. People within feel at peace and move slower; even spells are slowed down, as are the effects of chemicals and human metabolism. Effect appears indifferent to length of stay; doesn't intensify over time. After conducting experiments to ensure safety, Abraham was stored within alongside an IV drip of sedatives and a small coterie of summoned Marids to keep watch and alert you if something changes.
The Grand Library (8th Floor, highly limited access) - A library with shelves as large and tall as skyscrapers, potentially even larger and taller deeper within, and aisles between them as wide as streets and boulevards. Locked away behind a heavily enchanted golden gate, requiring a key. Everything within is immune to any form of precise divination because of the gate's magic. Illumination provided by small, floating will-o'-wisps in a rainbow of colors, as well as soft omnipresent amber radiance.
The Storage Room (8th Floor, highly limited access) - Exactly opposite the Grand Library, has almost identical characteristics in every way, except the shelves appear to hold magical items, the gate is made of dark iron, and instead of will-o'-wisps, the streets are patrolled by armored knight-like constructs holding lanterns and swords or spears.
The Study (9th Floor, highly limited access) - All parameters as per Storage Room or Grand Library, except the gate is made of a clear, white, silverish or platinum-like metal. Little can be seen of the room within, except bookshelves, a scribe's desk, a number of looming vertical windows, and blue-tallowed candles.
The Workshop (9th Floor, theorized) - A secondary gate within the Study leads to what's been dubbed the Workshop. Has a ritual circle surrounded on every side by pillars. On the extremely far side, Penelope could only barely observe what she said resembled alchemical equipment with her enhanced eyesight.
The Astral Laboratory (10th Floor, limited access) - Orrery chamber. A room surrounded by a strange frame-like scaffolding of brass and gold, with a glowing orb descending into the middle, resembling an orrery. The ceiling, wall, and floor are dark and covered with small glowing lights that resemble known constellations. In the middle, someone has left a number of half-scrawled diagrams and celestial charts.
There are many other chambers on each Floor, although these are the most interesting ones, as well as ones that are likely to be of immediate use and to which you have some measure of access.
It seems not everything can be opened with magic. The Gates you've encountered appear to be tied to Keys, whose location you cannot divine - breaking the enchantments totally would be a titanic effort, requiring incredible investment on your part. Your classmates have some use here. Where do you focus your efforts?
[ ] Gradual Clear - First, open the easiest and simplest locks, and lift the most rudimentary enchantments, starting from easiest and ascending in difficulty. Aside from serving as decent practice, it opens the widest space to exploration in the meantime for the rest of your classmates.
[ ] Focused Clear - Focus on a particular Floor or chamber. Which one? (Write-in)
[ ] Focused Clear (Force) [-30 Will] - Focused Clear, increased odds / measure of success. (Write-in)
---
Will: 80
Credit: 2.1
XP: 1,800
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