ChaoticLaw

Hoseforn’s Academy for Gifted Adventurers

Rodrick

Rodrick was doing everything in his power to keep looking ahead and not fall over as the other tiefling ran up next to him. He looked at her incredulously as she said stated how thrilling this all was. "Thrilling?" He said in voice that fell between a gasp for breath and a laugh. "This is thrilling to you?" She did actually seem to be enjoying this. Maybe it was because he felt like he had been beaten in his sleep but he was having trouble finding any sort of thrill in this.

Still, he couldn't help but laugh as she let him know that she had no issue leaving him to the wolves if they fell to far behind. Something about the way she cackled after she said it was too funny to Rodrick. It also sparked a competitive side in him he hadn't been aware he had. He pushed down the feeling of panic and the intense nausea in his stomach. He had been in worse shape then this plenty of times, he had the scars to prove it. He pushed himself, catching back up to Anise. He gave the best diabolical smile he could muster as he caught up to her. "That's assuming your kin lets you leave them to the wolves!"

---

Dex studied the students as they ran. This had always been his specialty, to study people and determine their strengths and weaknesses. His first arrow had struck Patrick, mostly because he had fallen to far behind, but also because he didn't like the man's attitude. He rubbed Dex the wrong way, which generally ended up being a bad thing for the other person. He was surprised when the young man, Toma, came to help him up, and less surprised when Patrick pushed him to the ground in an effort to get ahead. It was painfully obvious the kind of adventurer Patrick would be.

Still the rules were the rules, the one in the back got the short end of the stick. In Dex's mind it was less of a punishment and more of a motivator. You had to be able to get back up, no matter how many times you got knocked on your ass. Failure to do so would get you killed. Dex watched as Patrick got repaid for his actions. The pale girl delivered a fairly good clothesline. He fired a shot at her side regardless. Her actions weren't against the rules, but drawing attention to yourself was foolish. He fired another shot at Lorelei, and inwardly nodded approvingly as she managed to blunt the hit by catching it. These arrows flew a little slower then his usually did, still it took no small skill to catch one. He was less impressed when she threw it back to him and blew him a kiss. Arrogance got you killed. He removed a normal looking arrow from his back and fired it, this one traveling faster then the first. He aimed it so it would pass just in front of her face, the fletching of the arrow just grazing her lips before it stuck into the wall behind her. A fitting warning.

He watched with some interest as the blond headed mage tried to use his cloak as a distraction. An interesting idea, but one that only drew attention to him. In situations like this it was often better to blend into the crowd as much as possible. Those who tried to push ahead to show off or those who fell to far behind were generally the first to fall in a combat situation. There was strength in numbers, something the students would need to learn quickly. The young man was certainly fast as he managed to catch up to Vermont and, Dex assumed, tried to use the large man as a shield. It was normally sound strategy to put an enemy between yourself and an attacker. However in this case it wouldn't work out so well. Dex pulled another normal arrow and fired it. At the sound of his bow Vermont lifted his chin lightly. allowing the arrow to pass right under it. The arrow snagged the cloak and tore it off of the two young mages who had tried to use it as cover. It stuck into the wall behind them, the cloak dangling there as a warning. A look at Ixius's face made Dex wonder if he was going to need to stop him from killing the blonde mage.

Dex scanned over the rest of the students. The dwarf Arn was keeping a steady pace towards the back. Still, considering he was in armor and his legs were shorter then most of the others he was holding up well. Finn and Serena seemed to be doing well, not that he was overly surprised by that. It was safe to assume that Fenros had already put them through similar training. He watched with interest as Karya ran back to help Toma. A kind hearted gesture, if a dangerous one. He could almost feel Maya's approval as the young wood nymph went back to try and help the boy out. She loved that sort of thing.

The two tieflings in the class, Anise and Rodrick, seemed to be having their own little race. Anise looked as though she was having a blast. A rare reaction to this sort of training but one that Dex had seen before. Rodrick's face kept changing between a look that said he wanted to be dead and a look of determination. He could tell the boy was hungover, but adventurers needed to learn to push through all sorts of ailments, hangovers being a common one.

---

It was another seven laps before Vermont finally stopped. Seven laps of absolute hell for Rodrick. He was almost sure that the only thing that had kept him going was his determination not to fall too far behind Anise. He was never going to drink again... Well not as much at least. Rodrick leaned over and allowed himself a moment to breath. It seemed like Vermont was giving them a moment. Gods he hoped Vermont was giving them a moment. Rodrick looked over at Vermont, and gaped. The man didn't have a lick of sweat on him! He wasn't even breathing heavy! What kind of black magic bullshit was this?!

"Alright, line up students." Vermont looked at them all, his eye scrutinizing each student in turn. "It's seems that some of you made the assumption that coming in last would mean that you would fail this class. Assumptions are dangerous and often lead to mistakes. Falling behind does have consequences, as I'm sure you all noticed. But failing is not one of them. You all stood back up after getting knocked down, that is what we care about right now. If you fell behind today, push harder tomorrow. If you truly want to be adventurers you must always push forward, until you succeed or you die. Those are the only options available to you if you truly wish to continue down this path."

Vermont paused for a moment before continuing. "Now that we've all gotten warmed up, its time to start class." Rodrick felt his face drop. That was a warmup?! Great! Fantastic! This class was 100% going to be the death of him.

Vermont walked over to the wooden mannequins that were placed in the middle of the ring. "These will be your training partners for the next few months. Don't let their appearance fool, these are magical items and powerful tools. They adapt to your level of skill, the better you are, the better they fight. I am well aware that some of you have no combat training at all, these are the best way for us to feel you all out, to see the way your bodies naturally move, and to help you get up to speed with the rest of your classmates. If, on the off chance, some of you are too advanced for one mannequin, we can provide a second one to help you along. Though I will warn you that most graduates can still only take on a maximum of two at a time."

The mannequins made Rodrick pause. They were featureless wooden mannequins like you might see in a clothing store. They carried a variety of blunted metal weapons. It was hard to believe that they could provide that much of a challenge. Rodrick looked around at the other students, and noticed that he wasn't the only one who seemed to feel this way. Some looked excited, others seemed annoyed at the very idea that they would have to face these mannequins instead of real opponents.
It seemed that Vermont could see the looks on the students face as well. "Perhaps a demonstration is in order. Lady Maya, would you like to do the honors this time?"

Rodrick looked over at the drow woman, and felt a tingle down his spine as he did. He had only seen her from a distance last night, but now that he was closer it was even more impossible to ignore how beautiful she was. Everything from the shape of her body to her smile was slightly intoxicating. He could tell many of the other male students, and some of the female ones, were just as entranced by her as he was. “Of course.” She said, her voice sounding like bells as she spoke.

Vermont ushered the students back and he and Dex took up places on either side of the group of students. Rodrick was entirely sure why. Maya moved over to one of the mannequins that was holding a blunted longsword and placed her hand against its chest. The wooden creature stood up straighter, a pair of lights appearing where eye’s would be on a normal person.

“Greetings Maya Jhalavar, would you like to begin training regiment 56A?” The voice was strange, not quite human but close too it.

“Regiment 50C will do fine.” Maya said with a smile.

“Understood. Commencing.” Four other mannequins came to life. Another of the mannequins held a sword, two held spears, and the last one had a large maul. The five wooden creatures moved to surround Maya. Each with their weapon at the ready. Rodrick had expected the things to move jerkily but they moved as smoothly and as easily as any person. Maya pulled the two strange swords from her back. They were long and curved. Rodrick had never seen anything quite like them. Maya stood motionless, her blades at her side, until the mannequins surrounded her. They circled slowly, looking like hunters attempting to find a weak spot in their preys armor.

Faster then Rodrick would have ever believed possible the two mannequins with spears, who had taken up opposite sides of Maya, lunged forward thrusting their spears towards her. Maya spun too the left, the spears passing harmlessly through the point she had just been standing. As she did she brought up one of her swords and caught the longsword that had been swinging towards her head. She flicked it away effortlessly before rolling backwards out of the way of the other sword that had been swung towards her stomach. As she came up from her roll she brought up the two swords in an X and caught the large maul that had been hurtling towards her head. She flung the maul to the side and used the momentum of the move to spin her around and deliver a powerful kick to the maul users head. Rodrick had the distinct feeling that the kick would have cracked a normal persons skull, but the mannequin seemed to still be intact.

As she finished her spin Maya caught one of the spears that was being thrust towards her on the curved part of her blade and moved it just enough so that slid past her side. The mannequin stumbled forward, off balance a little. Maya’s second blade caught it in the neck, and sent the wooden head rolling. The two mannequins with swords moved together in unison. Each one striking with incredible speed and precision, attempting to get a hit in on the drow woman. Rodrick could see why these things were probably more then good enough to take on an average student. In his younger years Rodrick and his mother had attended quite a few tournaments. He had always loved watching the melees. But most of the fighters in those melee’s wouldn’t have stood a chance against the wooden constructs. Still…. Lady Maya made them look like children swinging sticks.

Maya danced backwards. Each blade strike that came towards her wasn’t so much blocked as it was moved away from her body so it only struck air. Even though the two mannequins moved in almost perfect unison Maya’s defense was seemingly flawless. Every move she made was like a dance. It almost looked like her body was made out of air as it spun and moved.

Seemingly finding an opening, Maya brought her body low the ground and brought her leg around in a low kick. It caught one of the mannequins in the back of the shin and brought its legs out from under it. Maya used the momentum of her movement to spin upwards, her blades cutting through the middle of the falling mannequin.

With its partner gone the other sword wielding mannequin didn’t stand much of a chance. Maya moved forward, unleashing a flurry of blows that Rodrick could barely follow. To its credit, the mannequin managed to parry and block the first few passes of Maya’s blades. But it was only a matter of time before Maya found the opening she needed again, removing the mannequins right hand before spinning and taking off its head. The other two mannequins had not been idle as the fight between swords had been going on. Rodrick hadn’t noticed the maul carrying mannequin running forward until it was in mid swing. It came in low, swinging the maul in an upward arc with so much force that it probably would have smashed a stone wall to bits. Maya did a back flip, the head of the maul just missing her. Rodrick had entirely missed the other mannequin that was now behind Maya, thrusting its spear towards her mid section.

Rodrick pulled in a breath, every instinct telling him the woman was about to be impaled. But the woman was too good at what she did. As her hands hit the ground in the middle of her backflip she pushed off with one hand, causing her to spin to the side, just out of reach of the spear. As she finished the flip she brought her blades up, severing the mannequins arms at the elbows. With one more quick strike the mannequins head fell to the ground….. And then there was one.

Maya turned to face the maul wielder and the pair circled each other for a moment before the last mannequin rushed in. It changed its grip on the maul slightly so that it could strike faster. It lost some of the devastating power but the fast strikes seemed to let it keep Maya at bay. Maya didn’t even attempt to block the blows, she just moved backwards flowing out of the way of each blow. This went on for several more seconds before Maya found the opening she was looking for one last time. Maya stepped back slightly before unleashing a stunning roundhouse kick to the mannequins head. Either the earlier blow had loosened its head, or her kick was just so devastatingly powerful that it completely took the head off of the mannequins. To some of the students horror the head went soaring towards the group of students at terrifying speeds. Rodrick finally realized why Dex and Vermont had taken up places on either side of the students, as Vermont’s hand flashed out just before the mannequin head collided with a student and caught it. Rodrick noticed that there was an indent in the mannequins head where Maya’s foot had collided with it.

“Right, who’s ready to start?”

---

@Inertia@StOpossum@LuckyBlackCat@Tae@Omni5876@Aerandir@datadogie@Heartfillia@Ryik@Duoya@mantou

Hoseforn’s Academy for Gifted Adventurers

"Attention first year students. Classes will begin in approximately 30 minutes. Please report to the Hall of Combat with any equipment that you require. If you do not have the appropriate equipment it will be provided for you on site." The sound of Athena rang out in each of the first years dorm rooms about an hour before the sun had risen. Her voice was loud, loud enough to presumably wake the students regardless of how hungover or deep asleep they were.

The Hall of Combat was a massive arena. Bleachers went up nearly four storeys, allowing for thousands of spectators. The ground floor of the Arena was a large oval shaped pits, made mostly of stone and sand and was roughly 350 feet in length and 250 feet wide. A plethora of runes lined the walls of the Arena. It was safe to assume that these runes were responsible for ensuring the safety of any combatants, as well some other interesting changes that the arena could undertake.

In the center of the arena stood Sir Vermont. The man was covered in thick plate armor that shone as if it had been polished for hours. His hand-and-a-half sword was strapped firmly to his side. To his left stood Maya, her face always holding a pleasant smile, and to his right stood Dex, whose face was completely unreadable considering you couldn't see it. Behind the teachers stood a small army of strange wooden dummies. Each was roughly human shaped with their heads bowed slightly. On the wall across from the teachers and the dummies were two racks of weapons. One contained wooden training weapons, each one roughly in the shape of a different common weapon one might chose to use. The other rack held actual weapons. These weapons differed greatly in size and shape but each looked well made and strong.

The first year students all stood between the weapon racks and the teachers. There was probably 30 or 40 of them in total. The students all appeared to be in different states of awakeness. Some seemed almost eager to up before the sun, while others looked as though they'd rather be dead then standing in the arena right now.

"Morning students." Sir Vermont called out to them, his voice booming and commanding. "For those who do not yet know, my name is Vermont Baleth and it is my job to make sure you are physically ready for the life of an adventurer. Before we begin there are a few rules. First, no magic is allowed during these training sessions. We are here to train you bodies. There may be times that you will not have any magic to fall back on, a strong and well trained body may well save your life. The second, is that anyone who is late, will be required to work twice as hard. You must all learn the importance of punctuality and being where you need to be, when you need to be there. The third rule, is that anyone who fails this class will be removed from the school for at least a year. So don't fail. And the fourth rule....is that you'd better keep up."

Without warning Vermont turned and began running along outside of the wall. He looked as if he was only jogging, but he moved at what a normal person would consider a brisk run.

---

---

Rodrick

Rodrick felt like someone had hit him upside of the head with a brick and had stuffed a pillows worth of cotton down his throat. Getting up when Athena had mad the announcement that morning had been one of the most difficult things he had ever done. He had also not managed to change out of his uniform the night before. Luckily another one had appeared in his wardrobe the next day. He somehow managed to arrive to the training field on time. He stood, slightly slouched forward, while Vermont spoke. He was only half listening when he heard Vermont tell them to keep up and started to run.

“Wait, what?” Rodrick mumbled to himself. He saw the confused looks on some of the other students faces as well. It took a moment before it dawned on him what Vermont meant. “Ahh shit.” Rodrick said as he took off after the instructor. Rodrick was pretty athletic, if a bit on the skinny side right now. But Vermont was running quickly, and in full plate, which made him look and sound like some kind metal monster charging down the Arena.

It didn’t help that every step made Rodrick want to vomit just a little. His stomach was not prepared for this kind of movement. Still the idea of failing on his first day felt unacceptable. His unwillingness to fail pushed him and he managed to stay just shy of 5 feet behind the tank of an instructor.

It was on the third lap that Rodrick noticed Dex pull his bow off of his back. The sight of the man sent a fresh shiver down Rodrick’s spine. There was definitely something unsettling about the man. Rodrick slowed just a little as he watched the leather clad instructor pull out a large arrow with a thick blunted tip. What is he doing? With one swift movement the instructor nocked the arrow and let it fly at one of the students in the very back of the pack. It hit the student in the side with a powerful thud and the student cried out as the momentum of the arrow knocked them over.

Rodrick’s eyes widened. “SHIT.” Rodrick half yelled. He gawked for a moment, subconsciously slowly along with some of the other students. Don’t stop you moron, run faster! A voice inside of Rodrick’s head screamed at him. Getting hit by one of those arrows would definitely make Rodrick throw up. Deciding that that would be a horrible way to start his first day, Rodrick ran faster.

Hoseforn’s Academy for Gifted Adventurers

As the night came to a close and the students went off to wherever they chose to spend the night, the staff of hoseforns wandered off to their own private study. It was a tradition every semester to gather and speak about how they would handle the incoming class and prepare them for the treacherous life of an adventurer. This year, however, felt different. The world was changing. It became more and more dangerous each day. And what was worse was that no one was entirely sure WHAT was causing the changes.

The staff entered a well decorated and comfortable looking room. Chairs and couches were placed around a large crystal that hovered and spun slowly in its center. The crystal shifted colors, revealing it be a part of Athena, although a larger one then those present in the student’s rooms.

“Well, that was a rather uneventful night. Only one fight broke out.” Gilor mumbled as a he hopped into a large chair. He kept his book firmly in front of him and never seemed to stop reading it even as he walked.

Sir Vermont harrumphed a little. “Not even through their first day and I already have to officiate a duel. They will be trouble.” Vermont sat at a couch and picked up an already filled glass of red wine.

Maya, who always seemed to dance everywhere she went walked around the back of the couch that Vermont had sat at and ran her hand across his shoulders in an attempt to sooth the large man. “It was bound to happen sooner or later. They are young, full of life, and have a lot to prove. If I remember right you weren’t so different at one time.” When she spoke her voice was soft and clear. It almost sounded as though she was singing.

“Almost exactly the same. Other then the stick you had shoved up your ass.” Came the muffled voice of Dex as he sat at a seat in the furthest corner of the room. It was always hard to tell with Dex, but it had almost sounded like he was making a joke.

Vermont made a sound between a growl and a chuckle, his face not changing in the least. “It’s still up there I assure you.” Maya laughed as she came around the couch and sat next to Vermont, she too picked up a glass of wine and took a light sip of it.

“How lewd.” Maurine laughed as she slithered into the room. As she moved across the floor the lower half of her body changed, the long snake like tail forming into a pair of long slender legs. She never seemed to break stride as she moved towards Athena’s crystal. It was obvious how hard Vermont tried not to look at her until a long white skirt materialized and covered the lower half of her body. “Prude.” Maya whispered to him teasingly.

“Still, Vermont is right. This seems like a rambunctious group, promising or not we will may have to work extra hard to make sure they make it to graduation. I would hate to lose any of them. They all show potential, and we may need all the help we can get in the coming year.”

The last to enter the room was Hoseforn. He puffed slowly on his pipe, the crystal in it shifting colors as he did. He released a puff of rainbow colored smoke that twisted and turned through the air in an unnatural way. Hoseforn walked over to the crystal and the rainbow colored lights within it shifted until they revealed a young kitsune woman with pink ears and a fluffy tail. “Selena, a kitsune. I haven’t seen one of her kind in centuries. Which raises questions as to why she here.”

“She will be hard to miss, I’m afraid. I think finding a way to disguise her for the time being may be wise. She is lucky Fenros found her first.”

“Regardless, the new’s that she is here is bound to get out. Someone will likely come looking for her. We will have to keep a close eye on her.”

The picture in the crystal shifted again to show the young archer, Finn. “Ahh, our young duelist.” Hoseforn said, studying the young mans mechanical arm with some interest. “How will that arm affect him in combat Dex?”

“It shouldn’t be much of a hindrance. Krum always does excellent work. As long as he keeps it well maintained he shouldn't have any trouble with it. Might even prove to be an asset.” Dex said without bothering to turn his head. It was always difficult to tell where that man was staring.

The picture shifted once again, this time revealing a purple tieflling woman. “Heh, Fiddlefen’s student. Never thought that old gnome would take an apprentice on, she must be something special.”

“Almost more surprising that he would send her here. It will be interesting to watch how she grows. Though from what I’ve heard we may need to make sure the wards on the library books are touched up.”

The pictured shifted to one of the new magus who had enrolled. “Ixius, I believe his name is. He shows a great deal of potential as well. Though from what his teachers told me his attitude requires...refinement.”

“A problem many young mages face. He believes to hardily in his craft’s superiority. A mistake that many only get to make once. Still, I think he will learn quickly once he is given the proper guidance.”

The picture shifted once more to reveal the other young magus who had joined their ranks. His blonde hair and bubbly attitude giving him a pleasant face. “Calven. A unique gift, being able to imbue magic into food. Still, his unstable core is worrying. Mari, I think you will have to work closely with him and help him develop his gift. Perhaps find a way to cure his mana leakage.”

“Of course. He is not the first to have this issue. I’m sure we will discover something. A good magical chef is a terrible thing to waste.”

The picture shifted once more. This time it showed a young woman with long silver hair and pale skin. “Valencia, the daughter of Jaune Coquerdale.” Sir Vermont said Jaune’s name causing venom to leak into his voice, and his body to tense slightly.

“A very interesting young woman. There is something odd about her. I don’t believe she is entirely human, though I cant be sure.” Maurine said as she turned to look at Vermont. “Vermont, I know your hatred of her fathers actions, however....”

“Don’t. She is her own person. The sin’s of the father are not the sins of the child. I will train and protect her as I would any other.” Vermont said, his body loosening up a little.

Maurine nodded, satisfied with the answer. They all knew Vermont’s hatred of evil, but his word was as binding as any contract. If he said that he would train and protect the girl, that was all that mattered. Once more the picture shifted to portray the young dwarf soldier, Arn. “This one comes highly recommended. It seems he has talent. But he is still young for a dwarf, and too stiff. He has much too learn, especially when it comes to being a cleric. Obviously you will have to work closely with him Vermont. But Maya, I would like for you to work with him as well. See if you can work away at some of his...awkwardness.”

“Sounds fun! I think the roommate we placed him with will help.” Maya said with a smile as she sipped her wine again. It had been her idea to put Arn and Karya together. The picture then shifted too Karya, as if in response to Maya’s words. “She is already quite skilled. I think she will do well here once she has the experience she needs.”

“Yes, but her reasons for being here are...unsettling. Her sister disappearing. It might not be related...”

“But its safer to assume that it is. We should look into the woods as well. If these disappearances have reached even the wood nymphs then we may be in for more trouble then we are prepared for.” Hoseforn said as he stared at the crystal. “Dex, I know that I have already worked you too hard. But I will need your help even more in the coming weeks. That scroll you found is...unnatural. It is a language I have not seen before, and even Athena is having a difficult time deciphering it. If this is what I fear, all of Ealinata may be in danger.” His words hung in the air for a while, darkening the faces of every teacher. Even Maya, who had a talent for staying positive even in the most dire of situations frowned a little.

“You know I will help however I can.” Dex said simply.

After another moment of silence, the picture shifted once more. This time it showed a pretty young woman with long blue hair and piercing yellow eyes. Maurine’s face brightened just a little as she looked at the young woman. “Is it her?” Hoseforn asked as he turned to look at Maurine. “Yes. I have no doubts now. She is older, and there is something more dangerous about her now, but that is certainly her.”

Hoseforn nodded. “Good, its a relief that she is alive. I don’t know how much she’ll remember, but I think its important that we help her.” A song began to emit from the crystal. It was the lullaby she had started to sing. The young woman may not have realized it yet, but small tendrils of magic leaked out of her song as she sang. “I don't think she knows how to use her voice yet, but she is close. It wont take much before she can use her singing to its full effect.” Gilor said, looking up from his book for the first time. “Yes, she has the talent. She just needs the guidance.”

After the song ended the picture changed once more. This time it showed a young man with tan skin and a muscular build. “Toma, his application was done by another paladin. Rather rare for your lot, isn’t it Vermont?”

“Yes. Tarkus’ student. I knew Tarkus a little, though not as much as I’d have liked. He was a good man. Said that the boy showed a lot of promise, he just needed refinement. And to get out and see the world.”

“His sword is odd. It’s very obviously magical. It looks like it has a great deal of magical potential as well. It’s not a normal enchantment though. Almost looks like it has a spirit inside of it.” Gilor said, the item seeming to have peaked his interest. Spirits bound to objects was not unheard of, but it was rare, difficult to pull off, and sometimes incredibly dangerous.

After a moment the picture changed again. This time it showed a young half-elf woman with white hair. “Alexis. It seems she uses gambler magic.” Maurine said with a smile. She always enjoyed unique magic, and it didn’t get much more unique then gambler magic. “I will be most interested to see how she progresses.”

“Being a gambler doesn’t often lead to a long lifespan.” Vermont said, studying the young woman with interest.

“No, but those who manage to master it can become quite powerful, and pull off unique magics that few others can. We will just have to make sure she doesn’t accidentally blow herself up.”

The picture finally changed to that of a red skinned tiefling. The picture showed him earlier in the day as he had been playing his lute. He seemed to play almost out of instinct. The teachers watched for a moment until the song ended, none of them saying anything until he had finished.

“He plays just like Anabella used to.” Maya said. She was still smiling, but it was sadder then it had been before.

“And he looks exactly liker Za-kei-al.” Vermont said. His face darkened and he spat the name like a curse, his body visibly tensed. The room fell quiet, each teacher knowing that this was a delicate subject for the Paladin. “He isn’t Za-kei-al though. The similarities are certainly there, but you said it yourself. This sins of the father, are not the sins of the child.” Dex said. He had leaned forward, and his mask was turned to look directly at Vermont.

Vermont’s shoulders slouched a tiny bit. “Yes, I know. I would never do anything to the boy. You should know I would never do anything to dishonor Anabella’s memory. The fact remains though that if Za-kei-al finds out about the boy….”

“He already knows.” Maya said, her voice almost a whisper. Vermont’s head whipped around to stare at her. He seemed barely able to mask his rage. “You spoke with him?! You have a way to contact that bastard?!”

“I wrote him when I found Rodrick. He doesn’t know where Rodrick is. Although he’ll assume that he’s here. He deserved to know that his son is alive at least. No matter what happened, he loved Anabella. And Rodrick deserves the chance to know his father. He’s been alone to long.”

“Does he know who his father is?” Dex asked. “No, I don’t think so. Still, he’ll find out. He’ll need too at some point. We owe him the chance at a family Vermont. We owe it too Anabella’s memory for not finding her son sooner.” This caused another pause. Vermont looked down, as though ashamed while Dex leaned back in his chair.

After a moment Hoseforn cleared his throat. “All of these young men and woman are here for a reason. They showed great potential. We will need them shortly, I fear. I know that you all are excellent at what you do, and one of a kind instructors. But we must work even harder in the coming months to make sure they are as ready as they can be. I don't know for sure know what’s coming, but if it’s what I fear, we will need every able bodied person we can find.”

---

@Inertia@StOpossum@LuckyBlackCat@Tae@Omni5876@Aerandir@datadogie@Heartfillia@Ryik@Duoya@mantou

Hoseforn’s Academy for Gifted Adventurers

Rodrick

A lot seemed to happen very quickly. Anise fired off a bunch of questions at Selena, asking her if she was a Kitsune? That sounded familiar, had his mother used to sing a song about them? He was having trouble remembering but he seemed to recall something about them being lost or hunted. It hadn't been a particularly upbeat song, so his mother had rarely performed it. Rodrick felt a little bad when it became obvious Selena was feeling, uncomfortable, but Rodrick couldn't do much but sip his wine as Ixius and Anise went back and forth verbally sparing with each other. This certainly was a fiery group Rodrick has thrust himself into the middle of. There were so many big personalities, and a few ego's, that it became hard for Rodrick to keep track....or maybe that was the wine...shit this wine tasted good.

Rodrick became torn between listening to everyone around him, and studying his plate and glass so that he didn't have to get too involved. Rodrick despised conflict, he never knew how to handle it. His instinct was to jump in and smooth everything over, but experience had taught him that this just caused others to turn on you instead. Most of the time it was better to stay silent and unnoticed. Still, he felt a little bad for Anise. It didn't seem like she had meant to make Selena so uncomfortable. She was just curious.

When the topic changed to the to the roads Rodrick's ears perked up, literally. He had noticed the changes as well. When he had traveled as a child there rarely been cause for concern. He and his mother had been able to travel freely just the two of them. But on the road to Hoseforn's the caravan that Rodrick had joined up with had been armed to the teeth, and everyone had been on edge. Rodrick had heard about the disappearances of course, everyone in Balmoria had, but it wasn't just adventurers or travelers that were disappearing. They weren't noticed as often because most people didn't care about them, but a lot of the homeless in Balmoria had started to vanish. People who had been living on the streets for years had suddenly disappeared without a trace. It was part of why Rodrick had even traveled to Hoseforn's. The streets of Balmoria had never been safe, but lately they had felt like a death sentence. The fact that it was happening to adventurers and that it seemed so wide spread made Rodrick's stomach churn a little. The 7 month time line seemed about right as well. Damn, this really was all connected wasn't it.....

Rodrick took a much bigger sip of wine to calm his nerves. It was fine, they'd be safe at Hoseforn's...right? Everyone on the continent knew who Hoseforn was, surely he could protect his students. Still, the world was obviously a dangerous place right now. Should he tell the others what he knew? Would that just make them worry more?

"meretrix tacete..."

The words made Rodrick freeze...Had Anise...had Anise just said 'Halt prostitute'?

Rodrick stared at Anise for a moment. His face contorted as he tried not to laugh. He might have snorted a little bit. It was not exactly a funny situation, but that had been the same insult his mother had used on patrons who managed to get under her skin. She had always said it so sweetly as well, making it seem as though it was a compliment in a foreign language rather then telling someone to essentially shut the hell up.

Rodrick refilled his wine glass, not even realizing he had emptied it, and took another long swig. Partially because it covered his embarrassment from the snort and partially because the more of it he drank the better it seemed to taste. He watched with some humor as Anise went over so the Selena could touch her horns. There was something innocent about the young fox woman that Rodrick found endearing.

It was around this time that Rodrick realized he hadn’t actually said much of anything to anyone yet. He had just been sitting there stuffing his face and gulping down wine. This probably wasn’t the best way to try and make friends, and he should probably try and make friends..right? Wasn’t that his reason for being here?

Before Rodrick could do anything else a large student passed by the table and knocked over Selena. Rodrick couldn’t tell for sure but it looked like she had slammed her head into the desk. Rodrick grunted in anger and tried to stand intending to do something, probably something stupid, but his head spun the second he did. Everything felt sideways and his stomach rolled in protest to the sudden movement. Rodrick steadied himself, but by the time he did he was too late to do anything meaningful. The large teacher with the eye patch had already shown up and the situation defused before it could become something dangerous.

From what Rodrick could quickly gather, Finn and the other student would duel tomorrow after classes had finished. Rodrick had no idea what a Duel would be like but it would be interesting to watch. He hoped Finn would thrash the other man, but he had no idea how strong either one was.

The large teacher looked at the group of students for a moment his eye seeming to study each one in turn. “The feast will be ending soon. I would suggest not staying up too late. You’re first class will be at dawn, bring any equipment you have with you.” He turned and looked at Rodrick for a moment. “And you should drink some water.”

With that Sir Vermont turned and strode back the way he had come. When Rodrick looked up most of the teachers had already exited the room, except for the beautiful Drow woman who was still standing there watching the group with a smile. She waited for Sir Vermont before the two turned and left the room as well. Rodrick carefully sat himself back down, his head spinning a little less though it still felt light and foggy, and poured himself a glass of water. Some of the students were leaving, while others were still piling food onto their plates. It seemed like it was up to each student if they wanted to leave or not.

Upon returning to their rooms each student would find a list of classes and required equipment sitting beside their beds. The classes later on in the afternoon would depend on their individual skills and interests, these would include things such as stealth training, musical theory and practice, runecrafting, blacksmithing, as well as special classes for clerics and paladins to practice their faith and craft. However, the first two classes on the list would be the same for every student. The first class, taking place just after dawn, was combat practice. The second class, which followed right after breakfast, was magical theory and practice. All students were required to take both classes regardless of skill in either.

Hoseforn’s Academy for Gifted Adventurers

Rodrick

Rodrick stiffened slightly as the teachers walked out and took their places at the head table. Years of living on the streets had given Rodrick good instincts when it came to people. When bumping into the wrong person could mean a knife in your stomach, you quickly learned to tell who was dangerous. Everyone of these teachers were dangerous. The old wizard man, the wrinkled goblin, and the snake woman had a sense of power that Rodrick couldn't place his finger on. He had never been around a lot of magic user, but he suspected this was the feeling a powerful mages gave off. Rodrick had felt people like the man with the eye patch before, usually from high ranking military personal or guard captains. He had a hardness and strength to him that Rodrick suspected came from years of discipline and combat. The drow woman, wow she was pretty, actually seemed rather pleasant. Rodrick couldn't quite place her either but she had a kindness and feeling of strength that he hadn't really experienced before. Then there was the man with hooked mask...

The longer Rodrick looked at him the stronger the urge to run became. He had 'felt' people close to that before. It came from people you avoided at all costs. It came from people who just as content to stab you as say hello to you. Their was no doubt in Rodrick's mind, that man was a killer. The man with the hook mask must have felt Rodrick's stare, because he turned his head to look right at Rodrick. Well, to be fair it was hard to tell where the man was looking, but it certainly felt like he was looking at Rodrick. Rodrick looked down quickly, and actually started to sweat a little. And then snake woman, who introduced herself as Maurine, began to speak and Rodrick felt the mans gaze move away. He might have sighed in relief a little.

The speech was quick and too the point. Immediately after Hoseforn stopped speaking food exploded across the table, and Rodrick's eyes grew huge. The smells were intoxicating, and Rodrick's stomach growled in anticipation. He hadn't eaten anything but a piece of kinda stale bread and cheese since this morning. This was without a doubt the most food Rodrick had ever seen. Rodrick began piling food onto his plate, grabbing some of everything, and started to dig in. It tasted incredible. After the first few bites he realized he would need something to drink. He spotted a pleasant looking purple liquid, was that wine? It smelled nice and fruity so he poured himself a glass of it. It tasted almost as amazing as the food had.

A few of the other students started to introduce themselves. The tiefling woman who had shown up just after Rodrick and Lorelei introduced herself as Anise. He had rarely seen any others of his kind, so he was a little excited to have another one of his people in the same year as him. The pink fox girl introduced herself as Selena, the young woman with white hair as Valencia and the young man with...was that a mechanical arm..cool... as Finn, before her and Lorelei started speaking in a language that Rodrick didn't understand. One of the two dressed in robes, the one who had looked like he wanted to strangle the blonde one before, introduced himself as Ixius and as a member of the Magus Librarium. The Magus Librarium sounded familiar, though Rodrick wasn't sure why.

"It's nice to meet you all, my names Rodrick." He said, bowing his head slightly to everyone before taking another drink of wine. Damn it tasted good.

Hoseforn’s Academy for Gifted Adventurers

Rodrick looked down, surprise blooming across his face at the young woman standing in his door. He had nearly ran right into her on accident and had to steady himself against the door frame to stop them from colliding. He looked at her for a moment, taking in her appearance with a quick glance. His first thought was that she had really cool hair. His second was complete confusion as to why she was standing outside his door. Had she just said something about roommate? That would explain the other furniture, but she was a woman, a pretty one at that. Was that sort of thing allowed here?

He was about to respond, when he looked in her eyes for a second and froze. They were an interesting yellow, not unlike his, but there was something else about them that made him feel uneasy. His instincts from years living in back alleyways had given him strong survival instincts, and right now his instincts were telling him that this woman was dangerous.

He was taking to long to respond. The situation was going to become awkward very soon. A part of him wanted to run. Generally he would have listened to that part of him, as it had helped him survive up until now, but what was he going to do? Charge through this young woman and run away screaming? His face somehow managed to turn slightly more pink at the thought. He was being stupid, and still taking too long to respond.

Some of the things his mother had taught him about making a good first impression finally started to kick in. Letting out a breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding, Rodrick gave Lorelei the most bardishly charming smile he could muster. “Lorelei, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Rodrick” He said shaking her hand firmly but being conscious not to squeeze to hard. “Forgive me, I hadn’t realized I had a roommate.” He said, stepping back out of the way and holding the door so that she could enter.

"Ah but I assure you, the pleasure truly is all mine." Lorelei gave him a wink before walking past him. She'd expected that she'd throw him off a bit, wanted to even, as people caught off guard revealed a lot about themselves in those following seconds, but this had been almost painful. She almost felt bad for him. Almost. "And I wasn't expecting a roommate as dashing and gentlemanly as yourself." Was she being over the top with her flattery? Absolutely, but she hoped it would stall him for a moment longer.

She surveyed the room briefly, noting the instrument on his bed. So he was a musician, she could work with that. Quickly she spun back around to him and grasped one of his hands, trying to tug him back into the room as she spoke excitedly. "Come! I just need to quickly change and we can head down to the main hall." She gave him her best friendly smile, but then she let it fall. "I'm sorry, am I being too much. Sometimes I can be too forward. If you wish to go down to the feast alone I understand." Lorelei bit her bottom lip sheepishly and looked down as she let go of his hand. Her left arm dropped to her side and her right crossed over her chest, grasping the top of her opposite arm in an insecure manner. Mentally she wondered if he'd play her game or not.

Through an extreme force of willpower Rodrick managed not to blush at being called dashing. He had known Lorelie for an entire 30 seconds and already she had him completely off balance. Was that on purpose? No, he had to be overthinking it. He tensed a little as she grabbed his hand suddenly. He disliked being grabbed but managed to suppress the fight or flight instinct that had served him so well over the years. This young lady was simply being friendly, forward, but friendly. There was no need to be so jumpy. He walked back into the room, the door shutting behind him as he did. "Not at all. It would be nice to walk down with someone. I haven't had a chance to meet anyone yet."

Rodrick knew that first impressions were important, and so far he was pretty sure he was blowing this one in every way imaginable. No one should be this awkward and jumpy. His mother had shown him how to charismatic and charming, he should be able to pull it off now, right? He forced his body to relax a little and he adopted more natural stance. "If I had to guess, I'd say your uniform is in that wardrobe over there, mine was in this one. And there's a bathroom behind that door so you can change." He said as he pointed towards the wardrobe on the opposite side of the room, and then to the door that led to the bathroom. He smiled warmly at her, hoping he hadn't come off as too weird.

A look of relief washed over the girl standing in front of Rodrick as she looked back up at him, smiling once more. "Oh thank goodness! For a second there I thought I may have scared you off. It would be like me to scare off the first person I met." Lorelei let out a small giggle and was delighted as he seemed to relax a little. Perfect. She wished to learn more about this tiefling if she were to be sleeping in the same room as him. She needed him to be a bit more comfortable with her if she wished for any sort of truth, though.

Her eyes followed to where he was pointing, having already guessed these things, but she made no comment about that. She'd let him feel helpful. "Oh you are a gem and have saved me from a potentially awkward situation!" There was a grateful tone to her voice and she moved over to her wardrobe. Upon opening it she saw her uniform first, then noticed some of her things had already been put away. How dare Zendan allow someone else to touch her things! She would have to have strong words with him later. Her eyes then fell on the harp and she gave it a glare. In the back of her mind she could hear her teacher yelling at her that it was a lyre, not a harp. Same difference, old woman… She thought to herself briefly before grabbing her uniform.

"So, Rodrick, you must tell me about yourself. I noticed your lute over there, are you a musician? I, myself, am a bit of a singer and just adore music." She had begun undoing her top as she walked across the room, heading for the bathroom, paying no mind to the fact that her actions may once again fluster him. Lorelei entered the bathroom and began to change, however she left the door open in order to hear him speak.

Rodrick pointedly stared anywhere else besides at Lorelie as she began to unbutton her shirt. She was certainly not shy. But she had seemed just a little different when she looked in her wardrobe. Annoyed maybe? Certainly an odd reaction, maybe she thought the uniform was ugly? Deciding it was none of his business, Rodrick looked down at his lute. Yes, he supposed he was a musician of sorts. Musician certainly sounded better then, 'formally homeless orphan with nothing to do but play his dead mothers lute and try not to be stabbed in his sleep.' Still, he didn't feel right calling himself one. He lacked the finesse an charisma of a real musician, and he certainly couldn't call himself a bard like his mother. Did this school teach classes about performing? It was called an adventurer school...so was everything they taught just combat related?

Realizing he hadn't actually answered her question yet, Rodrick cleared his throat a little before calling back, "I guess you could say that. I know how to play at least. I can sing a little, though I'm sure your voice sounds better than mine. Your voice has a musical quality to it." It was an odd thing to say, but it was true. Her voice did come off as oddly pleasing to the ears. It was Rodricks experience that pleasant voices were often good at carrying tunes.

He paused for a moment before calling out again. "What about you? Do you play any instruments?" he secretly hoped the answer was yes. A part of him missed being able to play music with someone else, and Lorelie certainly seemed friendly enough. Perhaps they could play together sometime.

Lorelei smirked a little to himself as he spoke of her voice. Perceptive, that was something she found a bit admirable. "You're too sweet. I'd love to hear you play and sing sometime, I'll even lend my voice to the song if you'd allow it." She finished dressing, a little disappointed she didn't really have enough time to bathe, but she could do that later in the evening. She wanted to have time to soak and satiate the siren side of her.

She stepped out of the bathroom as he was asking about her. "Well I'll be honest, my voice is the instrument I know best. My…" She paused, trying to think of the correct term for what Zendan was to her. "Benefactor has decided I'm to learn how to play the lyre, but I must admit that it's much harder than I thought it would be." Lorelei sighed as she threw a glance at her wardrobe once more before turning her attention back to him. "Well shall we head to the feast? We don't want to be terribly late, do we?" She gave him a cheeky smile, knowing that if they were late it was entirely her fault.

A benefactor huh? Rodrick knew that some talented bards had someone who would pay them to travel and perform across the continent. It was a pretty lucrative position to be in, as they took care of pretty much everything for you. Her voice must have been even better then he thought. "That sounds lovely. It's been a while since I've had anyone to perform with." He said earnestly.

Rodrick was about open his mouth to say they should indeed head to the feast when a small chime sounded in the corner of the room. "Attention all students, the feast will begin in 10 minutes. Please make your way to the Main Hall now." Rodrick looked over at a small crystal that was sitting in the corner of the room. He had kind of wondered what that had been for, but hadn't taken the time to investigate it yet. Was it a smaller version of the giant one in the Main Hall? He felt a little odd about having a talking crystal in his room but he didn't have time for that now. "I think heading the feast is a good idea." Rodrick said as he popped up off the bed. "Sounds like we might want to hurry a little too."

Rodrick moved over to the door and held it open for Lorelei. They would certainly be cutting it close.

Lorelei's head whipped around to the crystal in the room as Athena's voice chimed out. Intriguing, so they'd have a magic crystal watching their every move? She'd have to keep that at the back of her mind at all times then, not that she really planned on doing anything nefarious while she was at this school. "Sounds like it." She agreed with a nod as she followed him, thanking him as he held the door open for her.

Once they were both outside she moved to stand next to him and then linked her arm around his, smiling at him. "I do hope we can find a table that'll let us both sit with them." She said, knowing that some weren't entirely accepting of tieflings and even sirens if they figured out what she was. She wouldn't lie, that was one thing that could really get under her skin. No sense in judging right now, though, as there was no guarantee anyone would treat them differently yet.

Rodrick smiled back at Lorelei as she linked their arms. It took every ounce of poise he had to not blush again, but he thought he pulled it off alright. The pair made their way to the main hall, walking quickly but not outright running. Rodrick could feel the stairs from some of the other students who were also cutting it close, but he ignored it the best he could. He had always been stared it, it was hard for people not to stare at a man with large horns and red skin, although he figured they must have made an interesting pair.

The two arrived in an already slam packed ball room. Nearly all of the tables were full at this point, as hundreds of students sat, talked and laughed. It was almost overwhelming. It had been quite some time since he had been around so many people. There was only a few places the pair could sit together, so Rodrick moved too a table that had the most interesting looking group he had seen in a while. There were, what looked like, two mages, one with a big grin and blonde hair and the other's who face looked as though might commit murder soon, a dwarf who looked as stiff as Rodrick felt, a young woman with very white hair, an elf woman who was...drenched? That was interesting. A young man with a metal arm, and a girl with very pink long ears and a fox tail. Rodrick didn't think he had ever seen such a group. He was going to look for somewhere else to sit, not wanting to disrupt the group, but the lights suddenly dimmed and many of the student began to get very quiet. The feast must have been starting.

"Forgive me, but I hope you all don't mind if we sit here." Rodrick said the the group of fascinating people. The two sat just as the room fell silent, and six figures walked out from the front of the ballroom.

---

---

At the front of the room there were three tables position to face the rest of the room. The two on either side had 15 or so seats and was occupied by older looking men and woman of different races. It wasn't hard to guess that these were where the teachers and staff members sat. The table in the center only had 6, and was currently empty. But as the lights dimmed and the chatter in the hall quieted, six figure walked out to stand behind the middle table.

The first one was an ancient looking goblin. His face looked grumpy, and he carried a massive book that was nearly as large as he was. Spectacles sat on top of his head, and he seemed to be grumbling to himself. Next to the ancient prune of a goblin was a middle aged man with a perfectly pressed suit, an eye patch, and a hand-and-a-half longsword inside a brilliant scabbard at his side. On the opposite end of the table was a man dressed entirely in dark leather with a beaked mask covering his face, and a beautiful drow woman who moved so gracefully every step she took looked like a dance. In the center of the group was woman with a long, snake like body, and one of the most ancient looking wizards anyone had ever seen.

The group all moved to the table, almost in unison, and sat, all except the Naga woman who had no chair. The woman raised her hand for silence, although it wasn't really necessary at this point, paused for a moment, and then spoke, her voice coming out clear and easy to hear.

"Hello students, and welcome to Hoseforn's Academy for Gifted Adventurers. I am pleased to see so many of you, both new and old. For those of you who are new hear, I am Maurine Rickter, and I am the Vice Dean of this school. Before I give you over to Mr. Hoseforn himself I must remind you all of a few important rules."

"The first, is that harassment of another student is strictly forbidden. Any discriminatory, racist, or sexist behavior is not tolerated within these walls. You are all adults, I highly recommend you act the part. The second, is that anyone caught stealing from another student will be expelled immediately. The third, is that any and all physical conflict must be confined to the Hall of Combat, where official duels may be moderated. The fourth and final rule, is that due to recent changes in the world, all missions taken on by first or second year students will be accompanied by a staff member, both to ensure your safety and the safety of the outside world. As always, a list of your classes will be waiting for you upon your return to your dorms. Classes begin early tomorrow morning, so I suggest you don't stay up too late."

"Now I hand you over to Asmodius Hoseforn. Eat your fill tonight, future adventurers. Tomorrow continues your path towards greatness."

A polite round of applause sprang up from among the student's, mostly those who had been here for some time. As Maurine squatted down slightly, the ancient wizard sitting next to her. He cleared his throat, but it came out so load that the entire room shook. He paused for a moment, and then cleared his throat again, this time it came out just loud enough for all of the students to hear.

Hoseforn straitened his back, looked out at the students, and called, "Well you heard the woman. EAT!" As he yelled eat Hoseforn waved his hand and the room exploded with movement as platters of delicious looking food popped into existence at all of the tables. Plates and silverware appeared in front of each student. Nearly every type of food one could imagine appeared, from roasted birds and boars to perfectly crafted salads and exotic looking fruits. Pitchers of wine, beer and water appeared along the tables with cups and mugs aplenty. Music sprang into life, seemingly coming from nowhere as the students cheered loudly. The feast had officially began.

@Inertia@StOpossum@LuckyBlackCat@Tae@Omni5876@Aerandir@datadogie@Heartfillia@Ryik@Duoya@mantou

Hoseforn’s Academy for Gifted Adventurers

Glior Frenglbottom

Name: Glior Frenglbottom

Race: Goblin

Age: 97 (ancient for a goblin)

Gender: Male

Appearance: Glior is one of the most wrinkled Goblin’s one could ever hope to meet. Standing at a whopping 3’¼”, Glior might way 40 pounds when fully clothed and soaking wet. His skin has turned a grayish pink, in contrast to the usual green of most goblins, and his eyes are a very light blue. He often wears a baggy set of robes that had likely once been black but have turned entirely gray over the years. He usually wears some form os spectacles, although it changes from task to task, and few can ever remember seeing himn without a book or project in front of him

Classes Taught: Head librarian, Rune Crafting, Spirit Magic

Personality: Glior often refers to himself as the 'smartest goblin alive.' This is likely a true statement, albeit not a difficult task. Still, even among the more “civilized” races Glior is something of a genius. He’s also brash, grumpy, and will literally curse anyone who mistreats one of his books. He has a love for knowledge that few can rival and will help most who ask for it, though he might grumble the entire time. He also lacks much of the cruelty and laziness that often plagues his kind.

Biography:Glior was born an enigma amongst his small woodland tribe of goblins. He was born a runt, small even for a goblin, but with the ability to use magic. The older he got, the more apparent it became that Glior was rather intelligent, and had a natural affinity for figuring out how things worked. It also became apparent that Glior had no interest in combat at all. There were many attempts to send him out on raiding parties, or to rob travelers on the nearby road, but Glior somehow always managed to stay hidden, fire a few spells that would miss their target, and rejoin the group acting as if he had made some major contribution. He followed this pattern for years, until his raiding party came across a peculiar, ancient looking man.

The attack against the old wizard was over nearly as quickly as it had began. Glior had not even managed to cast single spell before his entire party laid dead on the road. The old man hadn’t eve muttered a word, how could he have managed to kill so many so quickly? The old man was staring at Glior now. How had he known where he was hiding?

Well….he was dead. He couldn’t run from a man who could kill an entire party of goblins without saying a word, and he sure as hell couldn’t fight him. With a sigh Glior threw his staff and the ground, and sat back against the tree he had been hiding behind. “Alright, you got me. Go ahead and finish me off, just make it quick.”

The old man stared at the goblin in obvious surprise. “Not going to avenge your party?”

“Those jerks? Hell no, I didn’t wanna go on these stupid raids in the first place.” Glior grumbled. The old man approached him calmly. “Oh, and why’s that?” “Because there are better things to do then rob stupid humans. They don't do anything with the stuff they get anyways, it just sits in the cave in a pile, being useless.”

“Fascinating. I suppose I could kill you if that's what you really want, but I think I have a better idea. I have an offer for you.”

And that was how Glior met Hoseforn. Hoseforn taught Gliorn all about magic and gave him free roam of the immense library that Hoseforn’s Academy possessed. Gliorn proved to be a natural, and his love for books made him the obvious choice for head librarian. He has been shushing young adults for nearly 60 years now.

The final teacher for now.

Hoseforn’s Academy for Gifted Adventurers

@Tae@LuckyBlackCatBoth characters are great. Go ahead and post them in the cs tab

Hoseforn’s Academy for Gifted Adventurers

@LuckyBlackCatLooking forward too it!

Hoseforn’s Academy for Gifted Adventurers

@TaeWe do indeed.