"Here's to tomorrow's Festival!" A young man shouted to his friends,
lifting his tankard as high as his spirits. The tavern was filled with
merriment and cheer. Warm light filled the rooms and made the wine sparkle
as it poured from glass to glass. "Magician! Show us some of your magic!"
the young man shouted across the room to a man cloaked in dark grey robes.
"I'm saving it for tomorrow good Sir." The magician shouted back across the
crowded room. The young man nodded in understanding and sat back down with
his friends. "One more day before I can go home again." The magician
thought to himself as he distanced himself from his rowdy neighbors. "The
Jubilee of the Mages. Funny how this tradition has been degraded through
the years." The Magician mused to himself as he gazed into his tankard,
still full and untouched. He couldn't remember what made him buy the thing,
but still, it gave him some comfort. Lost in thought, he began to remember
better times, when the title "Wizard" meant something other than a peddler
of cheap tricks and simple magic. Before the guilds were established that
is. They were a good idea at the time. Mages Wizards and Sorcerers gathered
as a band of brothers to share spells and talk about arcane lore. They
formed the first guilds. What few honorable Wizards that were left had been
forgotten as time wore on. Now, for a price, anyone could pick up a spell
or two. Most individual research had stopped and spells began to become
standardized, No longer unique as the individual. Resistance became
pointless as guilds became powerful, fearfully powerful. No one could stand
in their way. "I'll not stand against them, but they will never know my
secrets." The Magician swore under his breath as he gazed into the wine,
longing for the past.
Calmly they entered the tavern. Six of them in dark red robes, each carrying a walking stick. Red Enforcers of the Magicians Guild of Sailion. "Here to check for contraband magic no doubt." An old man whispered to his friend next to the Magician. This snapped the Magician out of his trance. "Contraband Magic? I don't know what's legal in this city!" concentrating he quickly cast Nystul's undetectable Aura on himself and his equipment. He cursed himself for not checking the Guild's magical item list before. Luckily his high collar covered everything up to his eyes, making it impossible to see or hear him cast the spell. His long sleeves and cuffed wrists hid his gestures under the table. The Red enforcers walked around the tavern each checking for magical items. As quickly as they appeared they left. "That's the trouble with these Red Enforcers. They are trained to look for magic, not to feel it out. Otherwise, you might be in trouble my friend." The old man spoke as he rose from his seat to get another tankard of ale. "You know of magic, Sir? The Magician asked in a weary tone. "More specifically, I know of your magic, Heir Ottoman. You should be more careful. Not many people like you." The old man slowly began to walk towards the bar. "You know me, yet you didn't tell them." Heir Ottoman stood up to stop the Old Man. "As thanks, I want you to have my tankard. It's not much, But It will save you a trip and it's probably the best you'll find here." He said patting the Old Man on the shoulder. Gathering his things Heir Ottoman quickly left the din of merriment behind him as he took to the dark and abandoned streets. "No, thank you. Heir Ottoman." The Old Man chuckled to himself as he took the empty seat.
The Empty streets filled with desolate shadows cast from lanterns at shop windows. Suddenly piercing the night, cries for help echoed down the streets. Heir Ottoman rushed headlong towards the cries from the shadows. "No one will hear you." One of the muggers spat harshly as he and his friends circled around the young woman in black. "Now what in the world would bring someone like you to people like us at this hour?" The second asked mockingly and he drew his knife. Heir Ottoman watched the scene from the shadows not ten feet away. Four muggers had surrounded the poor girl and were tormenting her with threats which they could very easily carry out. "Perhaps, she's here to give us her company on this cold night." The fourth laughed as he drew a rapier and stepped towards her. Crying, the woman fell to her knees. "Why, why do you do this to me?" She cried out as they inched their way closer to her. "Because there is no one who can tell us not to." The first said as he hungrily eyed her body. "Now there is." Heir Ottoman spoke as he stepped from the shadows. The Cloud barren sky cast moonbeams upon him; the near full moon seemed to give him an aura of light as he stood before the muggers. "Who are you?" The third demanded as he drew his short sword. "A student from The damn Magic Guild no doubt." The first cursed as he turned to face him. "Another rich brat that learned some tricks and now thinks he can beat us." The third responded. "How much will your parents give us for your head?" Laughed another as they all turned their attention away from the girl and onto their new prey. "How strong are you magic brat? Come on; Hit me with your best." Boasted the first as he presented himself to Heir Ottoman. "As you wish." Heir Ottoman mused. Chanting and forming hand sigils into the night air, a spear of solid shadow and pitch hurled itself through the mugger and lodged itself into the cobblestone road behind him. The mugger's body fell to a crumpled heap on the floor. "I am not part of any guild. You will not find my magic in any of their books." Heir Ottoman spoke softly as he watched the dagger fall from the lifeless hand of the mugger to the cobblestone road on which he lay. "Rouge Wizard! Run for it!" The mugger with the rapier shouted as he fled into the night quickly accompanied by his friends. Heir Ottoman slowly walked up to the girl on the ground, her body splayed about the cobblestones. "Just unconscious." He said softly to himself as he knelt down next to her and checked her vital signs. Returning to the fallen mugger Heir Ottoman stripped him of his weapons and valuables. "You no longer have need of these, and it seems that these are my only reason of being here." Heir Ottoman mused as he claimed the Mugger's coin purse, laden with ill gotten gains. As Heir Ottoman lifted the girl in his arms, he noticed she was tightly grasping several Runestones. "Another Sorceress, perhaps it was better that you didn't see that." Heir Ottoman said to the unconscious girl as he headed to the Inn, carrying her in his arms.
Calmly they entered the tavern. Six of them in dark red robes, each carrying a walking stick. Red Enforcers of the Magicians Guild of Sailion. "Here to check for contraband magic no doubt." An old man whispered to his friend next to the Magician. This snapped the Magician out of his trance. "Contraband Magic? I don't know what's legal in this city!" concentrating he quickly cast Nystul's undetectable Aura on himself and his equipment. He cursed himself for not checking the Guild's magical item list before. Luckily his high collar covered everything up to his eyes, making it impossible to see or hear him cast the spell. His long sleeves and cuffed wrists hid his gestures under the table. The Red enforcers walked around the tavern each checking for magical items. As quickly as they appeared they left. "That's the trouble with these Red Enforcers. They are trained to look for magic, not to feel it out. Otherwise, you might be in trouble my friend." The old man spoke as he rose from his seat to get another tankard of ale. "You know of magic, Sir? The Magician asked in a weary tone. "More specifically, I know of your magic, Heir Ottoman. You should be more careful. Not many people like you." The old man slowly began to walk towards the bar. "You know me, yet you didn't tell them." Heir Ottoman stood up to stop the Old Man. "As thanks, I want you to have my tankard. It's not much, But It will save you a trip and it's probably the best you'll find here." He said patting the Old Man on the shoulder. Gathering his things Heir Ottoman quickly left the din of merriment behind him as he took to the dark and abandoned streets. "No, thank you. Heir Ottoman." The Old Man chuckled to himself as he took the empty seat.
The Empty streets filled with desolate shadows cast from lanterns at shop windows. Suddenly piercing the night, cries for help echoed down the streets. Heir Ottoman rushed headlong towards the cries from the shadows. "No one will hear you." One of the muggers spat harshly as he and his friends circled around the young woman in black. "Now what in the world would bring someone like you to people like us at this hour?" The second asked mockingly and he drew his knife. Heir Ottoman watched the scene from the shadows not ten feet away. Four muggers had surrounded the poor girl and were tormenting her with threats which they could very easily carry out. "Perhaps, she's here to give us her company on this cold night." The fourth laughed as he drew a rapier and stepped towards her. Crying, the woman fell to her knees. "Why, why do you do this to me?" She cried out as they inched their way closer to her. "Because there is no one who can tell us not to." The first said as he hungrily eyed her body. "Now there is." Heir Ottoman spoke as he stepped from the shadows. The Cloud barren sky cast moonbeams upon him; the near full moon seemed to give him an aura of light as he stood before the muggers. "Who are you?" The third demanded as he drew his short sword. "A student from The damn Magic Guild no doubt." The first cursed as he turned to face him. "Another rich brat that learned some tricks and now thinks he can beat us." The third responded. "How much will your parents give us for your head?" Laughed another as they all turned their attention away from the girl and onto their new prey. "How strong are you magic brat? Come on; Hit me with your best." Boasted the first as he presented himself to Heir Ottoman. "As you wish." Heir Ottoman mused. Chanting and forming hand sigils into the night air, a spear of solid shadow and pitch hurled itself through the mugger and lodged itself into the cobblestone road behind him. The mugger's body fell to a crumpled heap on the floor. "I am not part of any guild. You will not find my magic in any of their books." Heir Ottoman spoke softly as he watched the dagger fall from the lifeless hand of the mugger to the cobblestone road on which he lay. "Rouge Wizard! Run for it!" The mugger with the rapier shouted as he fled into the night quickly accompanied by his friends. Heir Ottoman slowly walked up to the girl on the ground, her body splayed about the cobblestones. "Just unconscious." He said softly to himself as he knelt down next to her and checked her vital signs. Returning to the fallen mugger Heir Ottoman stripped him of his weapons and valuables. "You no longer have need of these, and it seems that these are my only reason of being here." Heir Ottoman mused as he claimed the Mugger's coin purse, laden with ill gotten gains. As Heir Ottoman lifted the girl in his arms, he noticed she was tightly grasping several Runestones. "Another Sorceress, perhaps it was better that you didn't see that." Heir Ottoman said to the unconscious girl as he headed to the Inn, carrying her in his arms.
