Enter Alyssa

[Anastasia]

The dragon dominates the view as it utters the words you still cannot understand. Again you feel the rush of power, the feeling of limits unshackling themselves from you. Of arcana greater than you could ever imagine igniting within your mind, as if you knew them all your life. As if you were born to know them, fated to understand every syllable of such fell and powerful magic.

You awaken with a startle.

Alyssa blinks her eyes open, slowly shaking off a dream. A dream of the dragon, leaving you dazed as you sit up on your bed in your quarters. It isn't the first time you've had this dream, an echo of what was that slips away like morning dew before the rising summer sun. Yet here you are, the first rays of dawn cresting through your windows, banishing the shadows of another night with a promise of warmth.

You frown.

A moment. A moment of something, slipping away. A forgotten dream? Something about shadows. Perhaps merely morning doggerel, the sad performance of a mind left fallow as you sleep. Yet here you are, awake and ready for another day.

This is purely a chance for you to set up, describe your living areas and all of that. If yo uhave something you want to do first thing, work it into the post and we'll roll with that. If you don't, you'll get a nudge forward since it's the first post and everyone deserves a push.

[Iron Dragoon]

Alyssa sits up on the side of her bed and runs a hand through her hair with a frown and squint at the sun coming through the window. She should alter the tower so the blasted thing isn't shining straight in her face in the morning. Or move the bed. It'd be easy enough, considering it's mainly a mass of pillows piled atop a larger pillow. And the fact that she's a master wielder of telekinesis. With a sigh she stands and heads out to the balcony, a simple command word shifting her sleeping clothes into a red and blue sari combo with wave patterns. A few more words of magic clean, style, and fragrance herself and hair. A long braid today.

She looks over the Order and its islands for a few quiet minutes as she pulls a few pieces of fruit to her with her innate magic. Likely the only bit of quiet she'll have until lunch. Or dinner, depending on how many of the Order's novices have destroyed things overnight.

She knows Lorathana is likely waiting by her desk on the other side of the wall, but she can wait. Hopefully. At least until Lorathana's own work ethic gets the better of her.

[Anastasia]

The fruit is good - fresh oranges, apples and islefruit. You break your fast with it and begin to feel more awake and alert.

As you savor that, there is a double knock on the door before it opens. Lorathana walks in - rather short, black haired and slender. Well formed, one supposes, surely not lacking in male suitors. Curves in the right places, a face with delicate elven beauty and naturally graceful movements. She wears a dark blue dress, the scent the sea and coconuts clinging to her.

"Good morning, ma'am," Lorathana reports, bowing momentarily. "I have your morning report ready."

[Iron Dragoon]

Alyssa rolls her eyes to herself. She knew it was coming. She probably listens at the door. No, maybe something more stealthy... A peephole somewhere? Alyssa pushes off the idea for later and goes to lounge in one of the hammock chairs on the balcony, motioning for Lorathana to follow.

"I think I'm going start putting a silence ward trap on that door. A few more minutes of waking up wouldn't be terrible. But yes, let's get this started. Who do I have to throw out of a window first today?"

[Anastasia]

"Several, ma'am," Lorathana replies crisply, standing at attention with her hands behind her back and together. "Firstly, novice Luras was found in the summoning circles without permission, and in the middle of a ritual to summon a succubus. Considering that Luras is...unfortunate in both looks and personality, we believe the most juvenile reason for this is applicable. He is currently under arrest in his rooms until this matter can be addressed in the morning."

A moment's pause, "There are no signs it is related to Malcanthet's recent entreaty, ma'am, as that thought crossed my mind. Of course, the diviners will be investigating."

[Iron Dragoon]

Alyssa sighs.

"It's unlikely that he's the only one. Have the Masters set up detection and alarm wards. If anyone summons a devil or a demon, we need to know. Check Luras for outside influences. Something might be pulling at him. Malcanthet's brood are born corruptors. There's likely someone in the tower that's in their clutches. Or more than someone. Ugh, the whole desperate novices thing almost makes me want to open a brothel just to avoid headaches like this. After Luras is checked for influences, have him punished. And check his rooms, he's likely squirreled something else away. Next?"

[Anastasia]

"Yes, ma'am." Lorathana replies, pausing one moment. "Novice Jessi was found trying to sneak a potion from our stores. She successfully undid the main ward, but did not find the secondary alarms and those gave her away. It was a potion of haste and thus not of negligible value. She is currently enjoying the hospitality of our dungeon as she is investigated for theft. The fact that she managed to undo the main ward speaks of his talent as much as it condemns her integrity, ma'am."

[Iron Dragoon]

Grunts.

"Well, dump her into the Abjurer's laps. We need to figure out what she was stealing it for. If she's a klepto, we need to get her into a program for scouting or exploration. More likely, she's in debt for something. Anyway, it's small enough that it's not worth my time. We have Masters for this. Next."

[Anastasia]

"Thirdly," Lorathana continues without missing a beat, "Novice Elias Suncloak - yes, related to the Milliard Suncloak who gave us a sizeable donation last year - got into a fairly serious spell duel. One that he lost, because his foe triumphed and left Elias in the infirmary. Normally beneath your notice ma'am, but his injuries were life threatening and there's the matter of his patronage. He claims the other dueler was notive Sanval, who he advocated be expelled for the assault."

[Iron Dragoon]

"Was the duel done by regulations? We're there witnesses? Was it over an approved reason?"

[Anastasia]

"It was not - life threatening injuries, ma'am," Your secretary reports, "There were no witnesses and the reason is unclear."

[Iron Dragoon]

"Punish them both. They violated the same rules. Make it clear to Elias that expulsion over an unauthorized duel will be for anyone who violated the rules. Lay out punishment for each violation. Sanval will be punished for the additional violation of lethal force. That should keep it from escalating further. Next."

[Anastasia]

"Onto the more troublesome things. Part of research room 14 is now lost to the Astral Plane. Researcher Armine and novice Jeten were studying color pool theory when Jeten attempted to activate a magic item that directs towards color pools...on the Astral Plane. In a room that was currently charged with Astral energies for study. I understand that explosion was magnificent, ma'am. Unfortunately, it displaced approximately one fifth of the room to the Astral Plane, leaving behind a gaping hole in its wake."

A pause, a moment's beat. "I'm told by Researcher Armine that he was certain it pointed to a color pool during the explosion, at least."

[Iron Dragoon]

"Punch him in the face. Which tower? I hope it was on one of the islands for testing. Have one of the Masters try to recreate it and see if it's a viable spell. If it's a new type of teleportation, we can try to make use of it. Have our Carpenters and Mason's evaluate it and get a cost. Put the two to work for them. Limited magic assistance. I want physical labor. Next."

[Anastasia]

"That is all, ma'am," Lorathana says, "What is your agenda today so that I may prepare?"