Exploring the Mage Tower
My character awoke in his bunk bed, where the mages brought him after his Harrowing. Apparently he passed out. I would have thought they had a special chamber set aside for mages who passed their test, since I imagine passing out is a fairly common occurrence.
Anyway, Jozan, an apprentice mage and my character’s friend, fills him in about what happened. This also marks the beginning of something I find frustrating. The MC has spent a lot of time here, presumably. He should know most of the interesting things that happen, or at least about them. Certainly an apprentice wouldn’t be privy to many of the mages’ secrets, but there are some things which he just should have known about. The Rite of Tranquility turns a lot of would-be mages into emotionless, non-magical people; how did he not know about this? I suppose I could just not ask about such things, but I as the player don’t know. Because the info is clearly there for the player’s benefit, I don’t usually knock this kind of thing too hard.
Jozan is really here to tell the MC to go speak with Irving. He doesn’t explain why.
But first, any good mage knows to take everything not nailed down. I found a lot of objects that sparkled. I try to depict one here, but the effect is lost without seeing the golden sparkles in motion. It’s like a Circle Mage cast a spell that just screams “take whatever’s in here” on a bunch of objects. Now, and this is just me, I think I would have practiced an Arcane Lock spell instead. But they didn’t, and so their blank papers, private documents, magic dust, and copper belong to the newly-appointed mage.
Oh, those wacky mages. Promoting a kleptomaniac and training mages in fire magic at their libraries full of expensive, rare, and easily flammable books. Don’t worry, though; he set fire to only himself – this time.
There is also a mage being taught how to properly shield himself from a potent magical blast. Safety concerns? Mages laugh at the notion that dangerous magic should be practiced where nobody can get hurt and in well-secured unfurnished rooms. No, no, much better to practice it in the library; and be sure that a group of children are being taught the fundamentals of magic right between both of these extremely dangerous practice sessions. What could possibly go horribly horribly wrong? … And the mages wonder why nobody likes them.
