On a separate note, I wonder what the Grey College would think of our newest acquisition. It doesn't seem very stealthy, but on the other hand, it's what you need when stealth fails...
The Grey college had something of a cafeteria buried within it's many, many twisting corridors, though at this time in the afternoon only a few senior apprentices and a few more perpetuals lounged about it's tables. It was quiet, the way the college liked it, and most were lazily turning the pages of books.
That didn't stop the newest face from entering at a run, smile eating half his face and eyes darting around to find a few curious faces looking up at him. (For he had a reputation, standing out even among the grey apprentices, for carrying the tastiest of rumors.) A momentary calculation flashed behind his eyes and he plopped himself down in front of a younger apprentice, who looked on wide-eyed but was known to be skilled in projecting a front of naiviety.
"Didja hear the latest? Magister Webber commissioned something BIG from the brights!"
"Oooooh, I saw her lecture! Wow, she's gearing up to kill an army? No, wait, can't she already do that? The lectures mentioned..."
"You're thinking of her tower! Big thing, I remember first wondering about it when a couple of the bigwigs came back and dwarves runes were all any of the seniors would talk about for *weeks*. But for her to be throwing around this much influence this openly... I heard someone asking about prices for dwarf-built FORTRESSES the other day... So that must mean she's worried. She thinks she's gonna need it..."
The two exchanged significant glances, then simultaneously turned to look out at the room; the room was, of course, trying very hard not to pretend like it had been listening with bated breath as the two considered throwing chum into the sharkpool that was the rest of the apprentice rumor-mill.
But then, from one of the larger corridors, a new commotion entered- a large, hefty boy on the edge of manhood, with his robes already strained around biceps and stomach.
"Hey everybody! Guess who's a journeyman now! Oi, you two! I think I've finally decided what to do on my journey! Magister Weber posted an open call for, get this, an expedition into the chaos wastes with dwarves and- I shit you not- Asarnil! I am going to the craziest place with the loudest Grey in dwarven Landships with a shitting dragon to keep us safe! How awesome is that! I swear, it'll be a cakewalk and the stories I'll have after! WOOHOOO!"
He reveled in the cheers and shouting, parading around the room to the congratulations and breathless jealousy of his former fellows, before settling in at a table in the middle, tales of dwarven treasures already dancing on tongues and the vow of poverty conveniently forgotten for the length of the daydreams.
The gossip leaned over to his cherubic friend.
"... ...do you think we should tell him?"
