Dalton the Thirsty[]
When Dalton sees Dramin making for the Academy, he falls in step. "That tower looks out of place here, doesn't it?" he comments, glancing over his shoulder at Vincent and Warshawski and gesturing with one hand.
Dramin Jodare[]
"Thats the wonder of the world. Everything is out of place. Its just the degree at which it doesn't belong. Ah but before we go," He clinks his coin purse and turns to Marsh and Bacarov, strangely not bothering with Dalton, "I would like the 5 gold each from the ship's ride. Please understand that this is strictly business and right now each little bit makes the difference for my preparations." He realizes only a little too late that Warshawski has already wandered off.
Naturally, I fall behind when it comes to the stupidest matters.
"At your leisure of course." His voice dry he already turns back to the tower and Dalton to head toward his minor venture.
GM[]
When you approach the Twilight Academy, you find that, much like the fortress it oddly resembles, it has a number of guards, dressed in crisp black and purple robes and with wands tucked into their belts, posted at each entrance. One side area has the road leading alongside it partitioned off, with a larger number of guards keeping watch- and a number of curious onlookers, as well, all standing on tip-toe in an effort to catch a glimpse of something beyond the partition. Several students, mostly human boys and girls in their teens, come and go from the building, flashing badges to the guards as they do so.
Dalton the Thirsty[]
Dalton glances curiously over at the onlookers. "Looks like something's happening over there," he mentions to Dramin, before heading over that way. With his agility and natural height, it should be child's play to see what the onlookers are trying to see.
Dramin Jodare[]
Dramin looks at the guards stationed at the tower near the partition and turns to Dalton. "You think you can get a good view of what's going on behind there? Might be important."
Meanwhile he makes a quick check and hone in for potential magic hidden behind the guards, trying to get specific to what may be behind.
He then tries to stop a student who carries the same badge.
GM[]
The two of you move forward to see what all the hub-bub is about. Yes, I said hub-bub. Sorry, my Georgia is showing. Along the way, you spot a couple of Twilight Academy students strolling past, pausing momentarily to roll their eyes at the growing crowd. Their shiny Academy badges gleam on their chests. You overhear one of them, a girl with fussy hair and overlarge glasses, say: "Honestly, you'd think they'd never seen a common river drake before. Bumpkins! How did I end up here again?"
The lanky boy accompanying her answers, "Your family couldn't afford tuition to the Academae?"
"Oh, right. Damn." The girl spots you approaching and stares at Dalton, eyebrows raising in surprise at his exotic appearance. "Oy, Bernie, look! A couple'a out-of-towners! Countdown until they ask to borrow our badges?"
Bernie snickers. "Five... four... three... two..."
Behind them, there are a few shouts of surprise from the crowd. Dalton is able to see over their shoulders- two large metal cages are being slowly drawn toward the side entrance of the Academy's main building. You can see that each cage contains a creature of some sort, with scaly gray skin and brilliant orange fins... and wings. They appear to be sleeping, or perhaps sedated. Though they seem well-secured and mostly harmless, that doesn't stop people from crying out in awe (or fear, perhaps) at the sight of them.
The female student looks back over her shoulder and shouts at the crowd: "Oh, give me a break! They're domesticated! They're more scared of you than you are of them! Ugh. Plebians." She groans and looks back at the two of you. "So, what can I help you guys with? Am I right about the badges?"
GM[]
To Dramin, regarding his Detect Magic: There is so much magic going on within the sixty feet your spell covers that it's almost nauseating, but you are able to detect that multiple calm emotions spells being cast simultaneously around the cages past the partitions. The creatures within the cages seem to radiate some faint magic of their own, but then again, they are draconic, from what you can tell.
Dramin Jodare[]
Dramin overhears about the drake and wonders what one could be doing here. They can't be native here... Where did they come from again...
He realizes how trivial it is and smirks at the two students after he hears about the badges and responds, "Pretty much. I'm actually here just to kill some time and do some preparations." He points at his pouch and feigns a tired smile. "Unfortunately this place is filled with bumpkins that don't know anything about magic.""So what schools do you study here? Think you can give me something to do that may he worth my time?" His hands go down, one jingling with coin and the other gripping his bow.
He knows this has nothing to do with the investigation, but it doesn't matter that much, though it does remind him of a chat with Bacarov.
GM[]
Dramin's Knowledge on drakes in the area: Although not extremely common in this region, river drakes- "degenerate" cousins of true dragons- have been known to pop up in just about any temperate region with rivers and lakes, so upon further reflection, their appearance here is not entirely random. Although smart and skillful hunters, they are not so powerful as to risk attacking populous areas, lest they become the subject of a dragon hunt. You also happen to know that, while they lack the magical prowess of a true dragon, river drakes are cunning and crafty.
And they spit exploding globules of caustic mucus, which is just great.
GM[]
"Preparations?" the female student scoffs. "And what are you supposed to be, a journeyman wizard? You look more like a ruffian, by my standards. Not that that's an insult- ruffians tend to be an interesting lot. What sort of 'preparations' are you interested in making? Spell components, scrolls, that sort of thing? A pseudodragon pet for your fetching foreign friend here?" She wipes her hand on her robes and extends it as if to shake. "Remy Muggas, illusionist, at your service. Just a student, but unlike a lot of the mooks around here, I'm actually worth my salt, if you catch my meaning. My less-impressive friend here is Bernie, an evoker-" she pauses momentarily to exaggeratedly gag in disgust- "because any bloke can roast somebody with a fireball. Twisting the mind and bending the senses... now that's magic, am I right? No need to answer- of course I am. Welcome to the Twilight Academy, boys."
Behind her, Bernie frowns at her dismissal of his school of choice. Remy, as if detecting his expression, snickers. "An' if you're looking to waste time, you're in the right place. Me and Bernie can get you in if you want to look around. Just don't wander off on your own- hate to see you step on a warding glyph and explode all over the hall. There's this one odd duck here who likes to collect the chunky bits and keep 'em in a jar. Can't believe I actually dated that nutter."
Behind the partition, a few in the crowd gasp as one of the drakes raises its head and peers through the cage bars at the crowd. It seems to yawn, disinterested, and lowers its head. The Academy wizards surrounding it are working hard to keep the creatures sedated while they work the cages up onto a sort of dolly system to get them into the side entrance.
Dalton the Thirsty[]
Dalton glances at the drake - he has seen the like before, in his travels. His left hand unconsciously touches the space on his right hand between his thumb and forefinger, where a white scar can be seen, healed but recently made. He immediately corrects his stance. Control, he reminds himself, his mantra continuing silently inside his head.
Similarly to how he corrects his stance, he keeps his expression clear of his innermost thoughts - that this Remy was comely, but childlike in her arrogance. Her favored magical school of choice further lowered her in his eyes - the much-maligned evoker, Bernie, seems more to his liking. He preferred magic that was more straightforward in its applications. Instead of letting that show, he wears a beatific smile to go with his nod of agreement to her invitation, and accepts her handshake. "We do indeed possess more free time than is advisable, though I have little and less use for a psuedodragon," he comments, as he makes to follow the two young wizards.
GM[]
"Ah, it speaks!" Remy says as Dalton addresses her. "Good to know. Well, why don't you blokes follow Bernie and I in? We'll get you a couple of guest badges, and you can get about your business . In return, I humbly ask only that you keep me thoroughly entertained. I am something of the local authority on... well, everything, so feel free to ask if you have any non-insipid questions."
Dramin Jodare[]
Dramin turns to the two students and gives a nod, "Sure, show me the way then. I do need those components after all. I am curious as to the state of your facility; being a wizard vagabond and all." He takes the statement from earlier in stride, a badge of honour of sorts that shows how little he needs tutelage.
He looks at Dalton, trying to make heads or tails of his thoughts at the moment, He is probably surprised at the sheer size of it all, the monestary couldn't be that large now that I think about it. As Dramin starts following he decides to check everything he possibly can, crafting whatever magical signatures that appear interesting.
GM[]
Remy and Bernie have little trouble getting you past the guards and into the Academy. As Dramin sweeps about with detect magic, he finds so many magical auras about that concentrating on the spell gives him a headache. With it being a magic academy, you're probably like a kid in a candy store in here.
"So you'll be wanting to get to the shop, then?" Remy asks you. "For material components and such? Maybe a scroll or two? Staffs, rods, other such phallic symbols favored by the patriarchy?"
The Twilight Academy may not be the finest magical college on Golarion, but if the auras you detect here are any indication, there are some pretty crazy things going on in this place- scruples are not their strong suit. You might want to come back here some time and investigate it further. Its vast arcane mysteries are already tugging at your priorities. Carrion Golem creation? Domestication and selective breeding of draconic subspecies? Studying forbidden drow fleshwarping techniques? The Twilight Academy has all that, and more.
Dalton the Thirsty[]
Dalton smiles openly at the display of magic around him at the Academy. "I must confess to have never seen the like of this place," he comments aloud. "My travels have taken me to places for too remote for something this grand. This lumber town wears this Tower like a humble crown of brambles wears a jewel."
Dramin Jodare[]
Dramin maintains his sweeping detection until it becomes too much to bear and drops it, content with the sights and sounds (and sometimes smells) of the walkthrough. Those who live with this all the time must be overwhelmed at first.
His face shows a childlike glee in it, entirely pure and without any guile behind it. When Remy mentions the shop however, he snaps back to reality all too soon and begins to think. "There is just so much, I wouldn't even know where to begin!" He misses her joke about the patriarchy but is smiling anyway due to the whole situation and it conceals the magnitude of his excitement.
He considers a few things that may be useful in the upcoming days but with a glint in his eye goes over the Remy and whispers,
Dramin walks over and fills the mundane elements of his components pouch and continues to just grin.
He walks over to the junk Ioyn Stones and grabs an Ioyn Torch, knowing full well it will help him work better as candles tend to destroy parchment.
To Remy: "If you can provide four scrolls, of any type to be given to my untrained friends of magic, it would be my honour to leave it and some blank formulae for them in the name of Nethys." He doesn't care which they are and shows a rare moment of humility to the one of the few people he truly acknowledges as his better.
Dalton the Thirsty[]
As Dramin conducts his shopping, Dalton glances across the street to see a menagerie. With an awed gasp, he moves out of the shop that Dramin is buying the scrolls from and wanders across the hall of the open chambers to where numerous cages of minor magical beasts are stacked up. He bends at the waist to gaze into one of the cages, eyes wide with curiosity.
"Not since I left Rahadoum have I seen this large a menagerie," he comments to Dramin, when they rejoin each other eventually.
GM[]
Remy snickers at your suggestion. "Four scrolls? Is that all? And what's in it for me, my fine mercenary?" She grins eagerly, but doesn't give you the opportunity to answer. "No worries, I'm going to hold onto that as a favor for the future. There are a lot of things a fellow like you- and your hunky friend- could be useful for. Let me run to my locker, and I'll see what I have lying around that I can stand to part with."
She returns with four scrolls tucked under her arm. Bernie starts to object: "Hey, that's one'a mine!" but Remy shuts him down with a glare.
"Here you are," Remy says, shoving them into your arms. "I'll let you identify these on your own time, but I suspect you'll be pleased."
She approaches Dalton, who had distracted himself with a tiny blue elephant the size of a kitten kept inside a little cage with cold iron bars. "You, sir, have a way with words. That, and watching you wander around all starry-eyed is what I imagine parents feel when they take their children out into the world! Not that I'll ever know for sure, I hate kids. But regardless, I can't help but feel some strange attachment to you, my face-painted fellow. When I come calling in my favor for your buddy here, you have to come too, right? I can make it very tempting for you, if I must. I happen to know a guy who knows a guy who can churn out something that might be useful for a fighting man such as yourself."
Dalton the Thirsty[]
Dalton favors Remy with a smile. "I would be happy to assist you in any way I can. My order is based upon service to others, as well as oneself." Placing his fist inside his other palm, he bows respectfully to the wizard duo.
GM[]
Remy sneers and pokes you in the chest with a finger. "You won't regret it," she says, and shoots you a mischievous look. She seems very amused at your bow.
Dalton the Thirsty[]
Dalton gives the small elephant-like creature in the cage one final smile before straightening, nodding farewell to the two mages, and moving away with Dramin to meet up with the others.
Dramin Jodare[]
Dramin stares as he gets pulled away from his reverie in the tower, realizing that he still has more world to explore and this tower (if it has any mettle) will still be standing when he returns.