"The treasure room? " guessed Sylgja.

"The exit?" asked Rasmus.

"No, no. The infirmary," answered Reinhardt.

"Wait, the infirmary? That's close to the exit. Can you lead us there? Was Misa there?" pressed Rasmus.

"Old Halfling lady? Yes she was a present. A nice hostess too I might add. She made me tea and we shared some crumpets, we talked a bit, actually a lot, but something is off about her."

"Misa? Something off? I think the fog here is finally affecting you," chuckled Rasmus. "Of all the people in the tower, I can't think of anyone nicer and kinder than her. She's practically been a mother to me here."

Reinhardt shrugged. "Well, she was amicable enough and she did explain some things to me, but that doesn't mean I trust her. She does work for Master Leroung doesn't she?"

"So do I , in a sense. You guys trust me don't you?"

"I trust in your actions, I trust in your heart, and I trust in your spirit," said Sylgja. "But…you yourself admit your memory is shot. Who knows what you did before to become the head apprentice here."

Rasmus was speechless at her veiled accusation. He knew who he was, at least in the present. Could she be right, could he had been a villain or some dastardly knave in the past? What lengths did he go to become worthy of Leroung's tutelage. He wasn't just the apprentice, he was the head apprentice. Though he was talented at magic, was he worthy of that title through skill and merit alone?

"You two are overthinking this," said Reinhardt. "Let's get you to the infirmary and maybe Misa can explain all this, but first….Rasmus I want you to think of a wardrobe. A big wardrobe. One with a variety of clothes, specifically with blue robes, and a tricorn hat. "

Rasmus wasn't sure where this was leading, and simply nodded.

Reinhardt rapped him in the head with the butt of his spear. "Concentrate. Remember I can read your mind, so I know if you're not thinking hard enough."

Rasmus rubbed his head, but did as promised. He imagined a big wardrobe, with rows and rows of robes and other articles of clothing. Specifically a blue robe and a few of those fancy tricorn hats like they wear in Andoran.

After about a minute of visualising this, Reinhardt nodded. "That should do, let's go."

Confused at the point of this exercise, the trio followed Reinhardt further down the corridor. Rasmus noticed that the Pale man had also picked up Marvin's crossbow and had it strapped to his back. He would have done so himself, since he was tapped for magic and his remaining magical items had dubious powers at best. He was a bad shot, but he suspected the dwarf's crossbow had some enchantment on it which probably explained why he was so deadly with it.

As they proceeded, the corridor continued as they came to another archway, this time to their right. Reinhardt grinned widely and he proceeded inside. Rasmus followed cautiously, and he was shocked to see what was inside.

It was a small room, with a large oval mirror on the end. On both sides of the room were rows upon rows of clothes. There was a wide assortment, but they consisted mainly of robes, and there was even a hat rack with several tricorn hats. Reinhardt quickly found a hat that suited him, and picked out a blue and white robe that fit his lean physique, and modelled it in front of the mirror.

"Too casual?" asked the Pale man, as he compared himself in another more monotone blue robe. "Ahh, now I feel like a proper adventurer. Not a hobo clansman or a trumped up student. This I can fight in."

"What, what, what just happened? " gasped Rasmus. "Did I just imagine this room and it came into being."

"Something like that, but to my knowledge you didn't create anything, you just rearranged things."

"That's impossible! I must be dreaming."

Sylgja scratched her head. "Wait, I'm not sure what is happening, but from what he is suggesting it makes senses. This probably explains where that hot spring came from. We were tired, and you might have thought about it and it came into existence."

Rasmus shook his head. "I thought no such thing, but I did admit I was exhausted."

"It might have came into being from your subconscious then," said Sylgja as she picked out a fancy white wolf cloak and matching gloves for herself.

Rasmus paused and stared at her cloak and gloves. "Wait, I remember those. They were Vandia's…those are her things."

Sylgja seemed repulsed at that statement and started to put them back, but when she stared into the mirror with her new garments, she changed her mind and donned them.

"I thought I already explained you could move things, but not create them," said Reinhardt. "Excluding magical items, warded areas, and living creatures of course."

"So he could make a treasure room if he wanted? Gather all the loose gold in this Tower in a nice convenient unguarded place? " asked Sylgja with an impish smile, as she picked out a light grey cloak and draped it across Rasmus.

"You're worse than Marvin," said Rasmus shaking his head. Forget the treasure room. If I can shape this dungeon, then I can get us out of here. I can forge a path to the entrance."

Reinhardt shrugged. "If I were to guard this area, that would be the first place I would ward, but fear not. I can lead you to the entrance manually, but first we must head to the infirmary to clear up some things."

Sylgja gripped the pommel of her blade tightly, but Rasmus was more agreeable to the trip. If Misa was there, then she could aid them; healing spells, poultices, salves, and possibly some information about his curse. Perhaps he could even rescue her from this place, and get her safely away from Leroung's power.

"Before we proceed, how is this all possible, and how did you come across this knowledge?" asked Rasmus.

"Your friend Misa told me, or I skimmed it off her head. I have a bad habit of doing that. As for how it's done, I can only guess. The demiplane spell or the greater demiplane spell is my best conjecture, or at least an ancient version of it."

Rasmus dropped his jaw. "I heard of that magic, only archmages can even attempt something like that. Leroung isn't that powerful, is he?"

"Demiplane? What are you guys talking about," asked Sylgja.

Rasmus took a deep breath and spread his arms as if describing a really big fish. "He's talking about a spell that can create your own dimension. Forge your own world. It's the stuff of legends. Not only can it create your own personal dimension, but you are kind of its master so you can set its weather, its elemental traits, time cycle, it's basically the point where wizards become gods and break all rules of reality."

"Clerics can do this too," corrected Reinhardt.

"Anyways, is Leroung that powerful?"

Reinhardt shrugged. "I haven't met the guy, but if Sylgja and her friends can chase him into hiding, I doubt he's that powerful. My best guess is that he bought a scroll from some shady magic dealer, most likely a Mercane from Sigil or Axis or perhaps Torch, and used its magic here. The pit knows how he keeps affording this stuff."

Rasmus nodded. "Let's suppose you are correct and Leroung casted this demiplane spell. How am I controlling it?"

"Isn't it obvious," interrupted Sylgja. "You are Leroung. Forget what I said earlier. You must be the master of this Tower, and somehow you were cursed with amnesia or something. Maybe it was a magical attack that Kasmir pulled off, or perhaps he incanted a spell incorrectly and it backfired."

Rasmus stopped. Was he really Master Leroung? Was he fooling everyone including himself? Were Vandia and Vetta part of a larger deception? For what purpose? Maybe this was an elaborate prison to keep his power caged? What better way to shackle the powers of a great wizard than make him think he was a simple apprentice.

"Okay, okay," sighed Reinhardt."You two are getting out of hand with your theories. First off, there is no great deception save your maids were meant to placate you in staying put. Secondly, you are not this Master Leroung guy. At least according to Misa. I wanted her to explain this for dramatic effect, but I guess I'll fill you in now. From what I gather, you are more of a sacrifice than an apprentice."

Sylgja and Rasmus both blinked in confusion. "Excuse me?" they said in unison.

"You heard me, a sacrifice. It seems Leroung discovered a way to extend his life, but not through regular means."

"Kasmir's immortality theory," said Sylgja.

"I haven't heard his theory but that the gist of it. It seems he found a way to merge souls through an ancient ritual. One body absorbs the mind, body, and even appearance of another, leaving an amalgam being. One with the above shared characteristics. It's not really true immortality, it's more like a pooled life."

Sylgja considered his theory and shook her head. "That doesn't sound that great at all. I mean you are a completely different person afterwards aren't you. By your description even the appearance changes."

Reinhardt grinned. "Well, if you use the ritual as intended you are correct, but I think Leroung has found a way to cheat the system. First off he chooses his 'partners' by how close their appearance matches his. Health, age, physical fitness are all factors but appearance is his major one. Think of it, if two people that looked like Rasmus joined together, the result would be someone that looked like…well Rasmus. That would certainly throw off people's suspicions that there was any change. Secondly, he gains knowledge from his merging, so that's why I assume he was given preferential tutelage opportunities. Rasmus's knowledge just adds to his. Lastly, though their souls and wills are combined, there is always a stronger and weaker one. The ritual as intended is meant for two equals. I assume it's some bizarre marriage rite from some ancient civilization that literally combines the couple, but I can see its misuse by combining a strong soul with a vastly weaker one. In such a case, the weaker soul would be completely overpowered or even subservient to the strong one, leaving only minor traces of its personality after the merge was complete."

Rasmus gasped. The draining curse. It wasn't an accident, Leroung did it on purpose to make him more pliable when they merged. While Reinhardt's theory sounded implausible, it did explain how he could shuffle this tower around and even command magic he had no business knowing. It also explained how his draining curse was a tether for him. He was a mage, magic was his blood, and soon it would be Leroung's blood.

"This sounds way too crazy," said Sylgja. "How can you be sure?"

"Well, I'm not," said Reinhardt."However, I do know this is far too complex for someone to pull off by himself. When the spirits merge, I expect some confusion and disorientation on the participants' parts, like Rasmus is experiencing. I'm guessing Kasmir's and the great Reclamation's attack on this Tower, forced Leroung's hand. He was not in a condition to finish the ritual so he threw up his wards. Even, then he couldn't have done this by himself. So he needed a partner."

"Who could that be? A demon he summoned with another Cacodaemon spell? A co-conspirator noble from one of the Cheliax nobility?"

"Actually a small old Halfling retainer. I think you know her."

"Misa?" whispered Rasmus in a small voice. It was bad enough Vetta and Vandia betrayed him, but Misa? His dear Misa? Rasmus' remaining world shattered.

"Aye, and that's who we are going to confront right now."