GM Silbeg's Academy of Secrets (Inactive)

Game Master Silbeg

Shadow Emberwik sighs, returning to its body.

A few moments later, non-shadow Emberwik catches up. "Very well, let us go speak to the one in charge and find answers."

Finding Headmaster Toff Ornelos is not hard, as he quickly appears among the wizards dealing with the aftermath. His proposal to the squabbling necromancers and summoners is that they divide the corpses, as there are more than enough for all.

He proclaims that all schools shall have access to the bodies they need, in order to determine where these devils came from, and why they arrived so soon after the champions of the Breaching Festival arrived.

Balik nods at the equitable distribution of corpses. Still, he pushes his way through the crowd to the front. "And what o' us, eh? We won this nonsense. I think we even lost a friend in there, damn near twice. Where's the prize?"

Molly looks around at the crowd of squabbling students. SHe moves close to Headmaster Ornelos and speaks in a hushed tone so in an attempt to be overheard.

"The prize can come later, but we need to speak with you in a less public place. We have, umm, sensitive information."

"Very well," answers the headmaster, as he leads the team to his office. "I suppose you have earned that right."

Once there, he indicates a few chairs, and sits at his desk. "So, what is this information, my child?"

Molly sits down in a chair and takes a long ragged breath. The comfort of the chair is a strange juxtaposition from the chaos of the day. She reflexively reaches to take Bubbles off her head but closes her eyes and lets her head fall on the chair. She sits like this for a moment and then pops back up as she speaks.

"Well, where do begin? It seems as as if the festival was secretly a trap, constructed by a devil of incredible cunning. The building's entrances led to a pocket dimension of his creation, I believe, and the place was filled with devils and previous victims. People would go in and their disappearance would be attributed to the Hall's traps. In reality, a contract devil who worked for some creature named Lorthact would amass them, for what purpose I can hazard a guess that by collected powerful souls, the devil could bargain his way back into power. When we defeated the contracted devil and exited the pocket dimension, I think the remaining devils scrambled out trying to fill the power vacuum. You saw the result. I'm sorry about what happened to your students.

She turns to the rest of the group.

"I'm not the smartest person, so if anyone has something to add, please do."

"No, you pretty much got it all that I can remember." Emberwik adds, holding up a random bottle of alcoholic beverage from the headmaster's cabinet. He looks over to the headmaster and raises it and his head, implying that he is seeking permission to indulge in some.

Balik nods. "Whole thing seemed fishy t'me. Still want that prize."

"The real question is why did you decide to take over running the contest this year? Was it not normally the Dean of Abjuration who invited the participants and oversaw the festival?"

"So, which is it?"

Using studied target on the Headmaster

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 25 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 25 + 3 = 40

The headmaster calmly replies to Chak, "The Dean of Abjuration, Master Cangi, was in charge of the contest, as always. I invited you for the most simple of reasons. No one had won the festival for over a century and a half, and that’s far too long a stretch for a school that produces some of Golarion’s most skilled wizards. Frankly, it made us look bad."

He seems to be annoyed by Chak's accusation. "I know nothing of a contract devil, nor of this Lorthract of which you speak. I had nothing to do with what you found in there, nor the devils that escaped!"

"Century and a half? Pity. That is a lot of failures." Emberwik pops the cork of the bottle and pours himself a short rock glass.

"So, by that intention you solely wanted it to be done with? Supposing it is true, would there be any further way to investigate? Perhaps old records buried somewhere or something? It strikes my interest that this has such deep ties to devils." He takes a drink. "Perhaps to find out why someone would make such a pact."

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (13) + 21 = 34

"Your reason makes no sense. The fact that outsiders won the competition their very first attempt after your students failed for so long and then they had to help rescue your students from an invasion by devils would only make them look more inept, not less, would it not? If you are not going to be completely honest, at least make it sound logical. Or you can just come clean with us. I'm not interested in justice, just truth and knowledge, you already have a scandal on your hands that will take many years to repair."

Sense Motive: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (6) - 1 = 5

"This man is not being completely forward about his motives. It makes me question if he is really as concerned with his school as he claims."

"Seems legitimate to me, for wanting the contest to be done with. Though I could ask for you to humor us, what made you decide we could champion the cause of winning? Us specifically, rather." Emberwik asks the headmaster politely, offering a glass of the drink.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (12) + 21 = 33

Apparently calmed by the ifrit, the headmaster says,”As I said, I was trying to get a victory in the Breaching ceremony. I researched your exploits. They are published, you know.

“An ally our four is always a good thing to have in your back pocket, should the need arise. ”

Chak sense motive: 1d20 + 28 ⇒ (13) + 28 = 41

Chak feels that he has come clean.

"See that wasn't so difficult. I hope you find whoever is responsible for making this foul deal."

Emberwik finds amusement in this idea, remembering the history of Nidal with Zon-Kuthon. He brushes the thought aside. "Indeed. Alliances are a powerful thing to have. I may consider this offer, after a clean up and a day of rest with meal."

Emberwik is for Alliance if it makes any difference.

Molly considers this idea for a moment, turning her thoughts over and over again in her mind.

This school is a time bomb of smart mages who are unable to clean up after themselves or defend the school. And this Headmaster. He can run this school but seems...ill-prepared to handle student issues. And there is no physical education program. Mages need to be able to do basic climbing and swimming if they want to go on adventures. Maybe, hmm. Maybe.

“Looking for work? Well, I noticed that your school is missing some educational aspects that, if filled, could make for a more complete learning environment. Your students need to be more, well, hardy! You also need someone to put down threats quickly when they arise. Your security is not what it should be.”

Molly pulls out a flask from her boot and is visibly disappointed to see an arrow hole in it. She places it on the floor and clears her throat.

“You want me in your pocket? Offer me a position. Oh, and ignore Seska Imintar’s debt. I’ll need an assistant who isn’t eating ramen for the rest of her life.”

Balik shrugs. "Aye, makes sense. I've no reason t'be picky 'bout my allies, lad."

"So, yes, I would like to offer you all positions at the Academae. I believe that it would be a good thing for all of us to have you all help us do a better job of training our students in things a little more worldly, so to speak.

"Plus, I can imagine that we'll have more for you to do in the future."

He ponders for a moment. "I don't suppose any of you would be interested in becoming the new master of wards? I feel that I will need to strip Master Cagni due to this not insignificant oversight, which has caused the death of so many who have attempted the challenge."

Lesson #1: Whenever you make a magical trap, cast magic aura on it. People get suspicious when your door has a magic aura on it.

"Very well, I may not control mighty forces with the snap of my fingers, but I haven't found a trap in ages that could confound me. Plus, I do have a way with magic writing. It really is just another language."

“I think that ‘worldly’ is a good way of looking at this. We can bring lessons learned from years of being out in the field. And fitness. Not every mage needs to look like a bloatmage.”

Molly pauses for a moment before reinforcing her earlier point.

“Oh I’d obviously need a TA. I’ll need help starting up. And maybe an office if there is one available. ”

"I've got wisdom a'plenty t'share, y'know. Did I ever tell ye 'bout the time I person'lly slapped the ever-lovin' crap outta bunch paladins t'teach 'em how t'be brave? Aye, I ken teach yer students a bit er two 'bout toughness! I'll be yer huckleberry." Balik spits on the floor, ignoring any glares.

The headmaster twiddles his fingers, and the gob of goo on the floor disappears without a comment.

He then moves over to the wall, and pushes aside a picture. "You were asking about the reward? Well, here we go!" He spins the dial on the safe behind the picture a few times, and then pulls it open. From the wall safe, coins and gems start spilling out.

"If you'd like, instead of counting this all up, I can offer you all the services of the Academae in creating magic items for you, up to the total value of the reward. Otherwise, we can count this all up, and appraise the gems, just to be sure."

As he talks, coins and gems continue to fall out.

"Most intriguing." Emberwik says, eyes on the piles of coins, trying to guess how much there is. Then he looks at his own equipment. "Perhaps some more staves would be able to benefit me." He thinks deeply about how the fights before went and what he could do better.

Interested in the magic items.

"Ach, I ken use some magicky thin's I s'pose."

The headmaster gathers up the treasure, and starts taking down the orders for magic items. It turns out that only 98,230gp worth of treasure is there... which the Headmaster admits to the fact that he has been drawing off cash to fund other Academae projects.

In the next few days, the Dean of Wards is let go of. The headmaster is questioned, and he draws on you all for help, now that you are allies. He retains his seat, but it is clear that all is not well at the Academae.

Adventure over...

Note: you could have very easily had to fight the Headmaster... and he is a 16th level wizard!