Crowds bustled about booths that sold magical trinkets. Cantrips lifted the spirits of passing peasants and illuminated the faces of children. The grand city of Sailion bustled with excitement as the Jubilee of the Mages thrust itself into full swing. Everyone dressed in their brightest and best. Guild mages wandered about and socialized freely with commoners. Sorcerers used their magic freely to amuse peasants and show off to their peers. Even the Thieves' guild banned thievery on this grandiose day. In one of these crowded booths sat Heir Ottoman. Before him lay an array of magical stones. "So expensive, these crystals. How do you ever afford Guild dues?" A Wizard asked as he picked up one of the small brightly colored crystals. "One finds ways." Heir ottoman replied glancing back at the girl sleeping behind him on a makeshift cot. "I can't see how, apprentices are expensive too." The Wizard followed Heir Ottoman's gaze towards the girl at the back of the tent. "But, if these work like you say, I'll take one." the Wizard gazed at the small blue crystal marble in his hand, placing eight thousand gold pieces on the table. Raising his hand to his forehead, he released the stone. Instantly, it began to circle his head. "Amazing, it is truly an Ioun stone. I can feel its magic already." The Sorcerer staggered as his mind opened to a larger world, allowing him to perceive mysteries he had never even dreamt of before. "Tell your collogues, if they want one, the wisdom stones sell out first!" Heir Ottoman called out to the Wizard as he disappeared into the crowds.

"Where am I...?" The young woman moaned softly as she slowly woke to the sounds of the Jubilee. Slowly sitting up, she began to feel the filtered sunlight on her face. Tent canvass, she began to notice, made up three of the four walls and the ceiling. The dirt floor around her was barren except for the pile of bags and soft cloth she has been lying on. She let out a startled cry as she noticed the small clear spindle shaped crystal as it orbited her head. "Oh, you're finally awake!" The robed man sitting at the counter that made the fourth "wall" called back to her happily as he got up from his stool to turn and face her. "Who are you? Where am I? What do you want?" She shouted at him as she stumbled backwards, tripping over the makeshift cot. "Calm down, calm down, please. You're drawing a crowd." The Robed man urged softly as he noticed several people beginning to gather outside the booth. "Last night you were attacked in an alley, I saved you. My name is Heir Ottoman. You are in my booth on the main road of the Jubilee of the Magi. I had to tell them you were my apprentice to allow you to rest here; otherwise I wouldn't have been able to watch over you. Your Runestones are in the small leather pouch on your belt. I had to put a robe on you to pass you off as my apprentice. The Ioun stone circling your head is giving you the nourishment your body needs." Heir Ottoman whispered hastily as he kneeled closely to the frightened girl. "Sorry about my apprentice. She tried to use a spell too complex for her a little earlier, but she'll be fine" Heir Ottoman shouted to the crowd that gathered around his booth as he stood up and turned to them. He quickly walked back to the front of the booth and pretended that everything was normal. He was greeted by comments of "My apprentice does that too sometimes.", "You should really keep your higher level spells locked away", and "I remember the last time my apprentice did that, turned his hair green for a week" from the collection of spellcasters outside.

The girl sat on the collection of bags and cloth trying to piece everything together. She could remember the shadow finding her last night and chasing her. She had run into the alley to get away from it, but some people had stopped her. They threatened her and she couldn't stop them, then she noticed the shadow, hiding behind one of them. Something had distracted the men and the shadow struck. She couldn't remember anything but coldness and darkness after that. She looked back at the man at the counter. Slowly she got up; adjusting the robe she was now wearing. She had never worn one before and it was a little uncomfortable and far too warm for her liking. The sleeves easily surpassed the length of he arms even though they were cuffed back. The extra length of the robe dragged unkempt behind her as she walked up to Heir Ottoman. "You saved me, why?" She whispered softly as she watched him move another bag of gold under the counter as the crystals sold quickly. "Because I saw it too, the shadow. It didn't notice, but I saw it attack you. You need all the help you can get." Heir Ottoman whispered back, startling the girl. "Don't say anything to anyone here about this; don't even tell them my name." Heir Ottoman continued. "Take this and enjoy the Jubilee." Heir Ottoman handed her a small pouch of gold. "Be careful, I feel we will meet again." Heir Ottoman deftly snatched the Ioun stone from the girl and placed it on the counter with the rest of its kind. "I'm sorry, I didn't even tell you my name yet." She turned to say after she made her way around the counter to outside the booth. "It's Karumi." She turned and disappeared into the crowds.

"I can't believe I'm lost again!" Ran shouted to himself in anguish as the crowds push and shove him in this direction and that. Soon he found himself with a group of Mages that bore the crest of the Lord of Sailion. Before he could ask for directions he picked up some of their conversation. "Well, at least there are no damn Elves here this year." "Cant trust them at all, too chaotic. Always doing as they please, never listening to laws." "If it weren't for the church, Lord Reouh would ban them from this city." The Mages mumbled about themselves. "On second thought, maybe this isn't the group to ask. Maybe I really shouldn't be in this City." Ran thought to himself as the conversation continued. Soon another Mage ran up to them from the crowds. "Head Mage Pogno has declared that he has found a way to control Elementals!" He shouted to the group as he stopped to catch his breath. "That's nothing, every year he babbles about controlling elementals, it's been done before too." A member of the group responded. "No, No, No, Greater Elementals! He's going to have a demonstration later today at the grand stage!" At that the group went abuzz with excitement and rushed off in different directions to tell others leaving Ran standing there. "No, this can't be." Ran stood incapable of moving. "They should not mess with things that they do not understand!" Ran shouted to himself in anguish as he stumbled about trying to make his way to the stage area, wherever that was.

"Finally, the real fun begins." Heir Ottoman mused as he stood in line to be registered for the duels. Preparations were done and the city square had been transformed into a huge stage. Here powerful magic users would soon test themselves against the best the Guilds had to offer. "I'll show them the power the Magi once held." He swore to himself as he took his place among the competitors. He turned to face his first challenge, a young man, no doubt nobility who had bought his way into a Magic Guild. "Don't make me hurt you. Go home before this round starts." Heir Ottoman warned as he readied his first spell in his mind. "You don't scare me! I am the apprentice to a powerful Wizard and my magic will beat you!" The boy shouted back as they distanced themselves from each other. A flash of light and small boom marked the beginning of the first round of eliminations. "Take this!" The young man shouted as he flung a pair of Magic Missiles at Heir Ottoman. Chanting softly and weaving powerful sigils into the air before himself, Heir Ottoman watched calmly as the twin missiles hurled themselves unerringly through the sky. Inches in front of him, they stopped dead. Explosions rocked the arena around the combatants as other spellcasters called forth the best of their arsenal. "Magic Missile, a weak spell for weak spellcasters." Heir Ottoman lifted his head slightly. "Take them back." Heir Ottoman threw his hands apart, catapulting the missiles back at the Young man. The reversal of his own spell caught the young man completely by surprise. They hit him squarely in the chest and the young man collapsed. "How.?" The young man moaned as the officials signaled for the end of the first match. Soon the fallen Spellcasters were removed from the field and the remaining duelists were paired up again. "Who's next?" Heir Ottoman asked himself as he turned to face his next opponent. A cruel smile crept upon his face, hidden by his high collar. Malice glanced about his eyes. "Who thinks he can stop my magic?"