[center][h3]Winterhold College - Loose ends[/h3]
[b]Word Count:[/b] 2587 (+3)  [/center]

[color=ea590c]”I’ll push back through the rooms we’ve opened and get human Frederick and the others!”[/color] Edward told Sandalphon through her communication link, having already set off that way just before the dice arrived. The reason for this had been because his scribing of the two tomes needed to open the painting puzzle had finished at last, but now they needed everyone out of the extended run of rooms he’d secured.

This was not only for simple reasons of compassion. It was also because, while the exit halls assembled fighters could likely handle anything dropped their way, the risk was always there that it was dropped in near a vulnerable member before others could react, or of friendly fire causing Galeeming infighting.

His first step on this messenger run was to duck his head back into the library of the negated word, and called out to [color=ea590c]”Diosdado!”[/color] that [color=ea590c]”You need to evacuate to the dice room behind me! This maze is about to collapse in on itself!”[/color] 

The watchman stared at him for a moment, then took a sweeping look at the barred shelves of the Library of Negated Words.”The books…” After a few seconds, his weary eyes settled on the door to the Dice Room. He could feel the shake of the college rooms, and see the green lightning that spread like cracks in a crumbling ruin. “If the Library will be lost, it will have no need for a watchman.” Reluctantly Diosdado began to shuffle toward the door.

One down, three to go. Edward did not expect to have as much luck with his second librarian however.

Still, before that (and after flapping his way across the pit in the pit room) he had human Fred to evacuate (over that same pit).

[color=ea590c]”This way Frederic! We need to get you out of here!”[/color] He called ahead before even entering the room.

The painter turned to look, a shocked look on his face, as if he didn’t dare to hope. “Oh, really? That’s…amazing!” A twitchy smile played with the corners of his mouth. “Some of the voices are gone, by the way. It’s helping. Really.” He shuffled in the direction Edward came from, headed for the communal extraction point. 

Edward raced past the man before linking up with his copper golems who had been scribing his copies of the Wingbane Tome and Unsaddling Tome. These he took, before stepping into the drawing studio. After retrieving the haunted lump of flesh, wrapping it in paper, and stashing it (three (?) down, one to go) he turned his attention to the depictions of a knight and a pegasus rider found within.

Upon these, he, in succession, cast the unsaddling and wingbane tomes respectively, as he had done with the Condragon Tome. Each spell, aimed with unerring precision despite the alarming state of affairs within Winterhold College, caused a glowing outline to appear around the other two paintings. Once all three shone, a chime rang out through the drawing room, and a wall panel slid open to reveal a secret display case. Behind the glass were three [url=https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/ca8df3deb2b4.png]extraordinary paintbrushes[/url], each with unique decoration and multicolored paint.

[color=ea590c]”These had better not result in more Frederics,”[/color] Edward muttered to himself in dry levity, unsure of what to actually make of the fanciful brushes, as he swiftly spun up a spell circle and sent the brushes on their way to the armory. Then he turned around and headed for the last and most difficult task he was going to face during this rush through old ground: Urag gro-Shub.

The library keeper was, per his own words, affixed in place, and rather happy about that fact, which naturally was going to be a problem when it came to getting him out of here. As was the man’s personality, which he expected might stonewall any attempts to rescue him. Still, Edward had to try, calling out [color=ea590c]”Urag, this place is collapsing apart at the whim of its creator! We need to find a way to uproot you as soon as we can,”[/color] as he rushed into the Arcaneum.

The orc waved his hand dismissively. “Nonsense. I am this room, and this room is me. If these books really are bound for destruction, then I will welcome my rest alongside them.”

Edward paused his rush, took a breath both to catch it and to steady his resolve before insisting that [color=ea590c]”That… would be an incredible waste”[/color] with a hint of steel to his tone.

He was not willing to fully draw that steel right away, however, regardless of urgency, as he insisted that [color=ea590c]”We can save your collection and yourself. Get you both out of here. I can send them all to a ship in the sky, and then, once we escape, you can go with them”[/color] 

The old librarian glared. “Your flying ship will have neither I nor my books. The Elder Scroll alone would threaten the fabric of reality itself in the wrong hands.” He cleared his throat. “And even if I did wish to leave, I cannot. This is my station, and I am rooted to it.”

Edward somehow doubted that Galeem would allow such a thing to exist in its reality, but that fact did add even further to his desire to get the orc and his collection out of here. 

As for the rooted nature, that had come up before, which was why he had approached and stepped around behind the desk the man was stuck behind. As he moved, he had pulled out a friend-heart, believing very much that said nature must be part of the overseer’s game and not the man’s true reality.

[color=ea590c]”The master of this maze already has access to that scroll, given he can likely recreate this place on as much of a whim as he intends to destroy it”[/color] he pointed out as he moved into position, before raising the heart and explaining what he (hoped) it would do [color=ea590c]”this will free you from the chains that bind your mind, if you let it”[/color] and if he did not, the Dreadnought felt compelled to do so regardless.

“Chains? I have nothing of the sort. Do you think me imprisoned, here?’ Urag gro-Shub shook his head. “No more than a book is imprisoned on its shelf. Everything in its proper place.”

[color=ea590c]”Only according to a false god’s sorting system”[/color] Edward replied, before going for his magelock pistol at the same time as he summoned his Reaver striker, both intended to soften up the librarian so he could remove the glare from his eyes.

A wall of force slammed into Edward, propelling him through the room, out through the door, and into the lecture hall. “Quiet…” He only barely caught a glimpse at Urag gro-Shub lowering his hands again. “In the library.” Then the doors slammed shut, and the Arcaneum was gone again.

Edward was left panting for a few moments, before he holstered his pistol and cursed, though only lightly. He had expected the man to have power, just not quite that absolute. He could only hope that the way he seemed to be ‘integrated’ into the game meant that he might actually go with (and possibly come back) with his room.

If not, the seekers were going to have a problem if he dropped into the dice room.

Faced now with a closed door, however, Edward took a gamble, dragging it open, before putting fingers to hips lips and whistling to get attention of who or whatever was within, before calling out [color=ea590c]”this way to the exit!”[/color]

From the dilapidated, overgrown apartment within, a swarm of rat-sized [url=https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/1b2057ab65fa.png]bloodflies[/url] surged toward the doorway, the beat of their myriad wings disturbingly loud as they hurtled toward Edward with mouthparts like spearheads.

Still holding the door open, Edward stepped to the side, and into his place stepped the iron golems who had been holding the door to the library stepped into his place. Shields slammed down and an aura flared as they entered defense mode, ready to meet the incoming vermin.

When they did, Edward tossed a pheromone canister he’d gotten from a glyphid spirit over the top of the shield wall. It burst, creating a lingering cloud of scent that drove the bloodflies wild, causing those touched by it to tear into each other,a nd for those behind to tear into them in turn.

The Dreadnaught was very pleased with his solution, at least until the gas dissipated along with the sounds of insectile death, and was replaced with the sound of mandibles hammering into metal.

There were a [i]lot[/i] of bloodflies in there. They also seemed to be a new life, for the most part, which was interesting. Perhaps they had been breeding/spawning since the maze was ‘made’ he theorised. At any rate, there was likely to be no-one left alive in there, but that didn’t mean Edward was going to just shut the door. After all, when this room was removed, it’d send the swarm into the dice room where they’d play absolute havoc.

Better to hold them here at this choke point for as long as possible.

With that in mind he called away the iron golems holding open the door to the bedroom, which from what he recalled sported only a rune inscribed altar with little obvious initial use, and had them form up alongside this current set. Finally he added his copper golems to the mix, after which he had the golems blocking the door create a small gap in their defences, one that led straight into the waiting mauls and spears of the other two squads, allowing him to gradually bleed the room dry of bugs.

Not fast enough to investigate what was inside, however, and besides, he had better odds finding survivors by flinging open another door. As such, to the tune of dying bugs, Edward marched across the room and pulled back open the door that had previously led to the bedroom.

[center][b]The Alchemical Lab[/b]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/kGHOvcT.png[/img][/center]

Now, it opened to reveal a rather grim -if not outright macabre- laboratory of some kind. Most of what light there was came from by eerie green orbs within hanging metal lanterns, casting latticed shadows everywhere. Strange skeletons that couldn’t belong to any natural creature could be found hanging from the ceiling or made into freestanding sculptures, but the real unpleasantness came in the form of the bubbling specimen jars crowding the main research table, housing all manner of ghastly, fleshy homunculi. Edward could see tables of alchemical equipment, towering blackboards covered in illegible scrawls, and shelves full of nasty ingredients. It was almost over-the-top in its commitment to the evil laboratory aesthetic, in fact, which nothing epitomized better than the bat wings atop the backs of the tall green chairs. 

In contrast to the room around him, the actual alchemist at work here didn’t look that bad. He looked like a pretty [url=https://i.imgur.com/BeOdMdw.png]suave fellow[/url], the academic look of his lab coat tempered by long black dreadlocks, a green shirt that showed plenty of his toned chest, and leather thighboots. A wooden staff with a deep blue gem in its crook floated at his side as he mixed chemicals and recorded observations, focused on his work. At Edward’s sudden entrance, though, he looked up with an expression of mild surprise. There also happened to be a [url=https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/36d1cc030486.png]gentlemanly swordsman[/url] with long blonde hair here, hidden from Edward’s initial angle, who seemed to be stroking the fur of Edward’s pet Loona.

Having only his SomnaDrix (which he handed the door) as a backup this time rather than a full door blocking squad of golems, Edward had been a little more cautious with his door opening, so there was no shrill whistle this time.

Upon sighting the doctor however, he did loudly urge him to [color=ea590c]”Come with me to the exit, this entire maze is in the process of being collapsed room by room by its master”[/color]

At the sound of his voice, Loona came scampering around the corner, causing the Dreadnaught's stern ‘I am in charge here’ expression to soften as he crouched down to greet her with a pet and a relived [color=ea590c]”ah, there you are”[/color]

The swordsman strode out after her, his expression serene despite the alarming state of the labyrinth. “Ah, so that’s what’s happening. My thanks for the timely warning. If it’s no trouble, I’ll accompany you, then. Incidentally, my name is Aramis. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.” As he approached Edward, Aramis gave the dismayed alchemist a perplexed look. “Good sir, even if it is your life’s work, I daresay it’s not worth your life.”

Though he rolled his eyes, the alchemist seemed to agree. After holding up a finger to ask for a moment, he quickly began to load a gurney-like wheeled desk with specimens, samples, bottles, and tools of the trade.

[color=ea590c]”There’s stairs on the way to the exit, so please don’t overload it too greatly”[/color] Edward told the man, knowing the type well enough to not try and insist he not bring his collection along. He then turned his attention to Aramis and introduced himself with [color=ea590c]”Edward Portsmith, at your service.”[/color] before asking [color=ea590c]”Do I have you to thank for finding Loona here?”[/color]

Aramis shrugged offhandedly. “I did very little, in truth. This maze is home to many creatures, and few off them friendly.” With a pointed look at the fearsome Somnadrix as he passed, the swordsman exited the laboratory, bound for the Dice Room with Edward’s warning in mind.

Edward watched him go and then turned back to his pet, to whom he affixed a collar and the star shaped mage tag, before also fusing her with the Red Wolf of Radagon to grant her some of its power.

[center][hider=For Loona]New Job Obtained:
[b]Mage[/b]
Intelligence++ / Charisma++ / Constitution- / Strength-
New Active: [b]Cryo-Heal[/b]
Freeze a unit within 3 meters for 10 seconds max, healing 3% HP per second frozen
New Passive: [b]Synthesize[/b]
Become slightly more intelligent every 10 seconds, increasing mana regen. This resets after combat ends

Notable spirit consumed:
[b]Red Wolf of Radagon[/b]
The host has become larger, longer, more orange, and more lupine, with longer fur. This spirit grants the Ability [b]Amber Starlight Blade[/b], allowing the host to briefly conjure a magical curved sword in her mouth to wield in battle. It also confers the Weakness [b]Slash Bane[/b], increasing the damage suffered by cutting attacks and slash-related debuffs like Bleed[/hider][/center]

By the time he was done with that, the alchemist was in turn done with loading his work onto the wheeled desk, and they all set off back towards the dice room, delayed only slightly by having to airlift the specimens across the pit hall using Edward’s Reaver striker.